Return to Hogwarts
by War292004
Summary: Matt, Emily, and Steffen return for their second year at Hogwarts. New friends, old enemies, and a mysterious book could unlock the answers that they have been looking for. But are they ready to deal with the risks that will come with it?
1. Ch 1: Salem Institute of Magic

Disclaimer: **This is a fanfiction from the Great J. K. Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. There are also a few of references to Tales of Symphonia and Dance Dance Revolution… and I know they belong to Namco and Konami… and that's their stuff. Any spells, songs, Hogwarts and teachers and characters (except a few of them) are all of HER creation, not mine. So she gets the credit, not me. But now that I've taken care of the legal issues, please enjoy the rest of my waste of summer (and most of my Junior Year...) … er… and by that I mean my next fanfiction: Return to Hogwarts. Oh, and if I'm interjecting stuff at the beginning and/or end of the chapters, I'll do it in complete bold so you can understand. The first chapter is the worst, so bear with it!**

**Return to Hogwarts**

Chapter 1: Salem Institute of Magic

Matt Warren stared out the window as the plane made an approach in to Boston's Logan International Airport. On his left, his closest friends, Emily Davis and Steffen Jett, sat listening to music, their eyes closed, their hands clasped together. Matt suppressed a smirk with difficulty, and turned his attention back to the window.

There was a slight reflection of himself in the window, a pale, thin, sixteen-year-old wizard with short, brown hair and many, many freckles and pimples. His eyes were a strange shade of green, and, as always, he was wearing his favorite pair glasses (the "emo" kind with the thick, black frames), which magnified his eyes about twice their normal size. And, as usual, his clothing was comfortable for him and a little boring, quite unlike his personality.

Emily, on his left, was about a head or two shorter than Matt, and her light, blonde hair hung almost all the way to her elbows. Her eyes were closed and it would've been impossible to tell the color, but when they were open, they were alight with laughter, love, malice, or spite, depending on her opinion of the person she was looking at. She absent-mindedly scratched her nose and returned to listening to the song, ignoring the flight attendant's orders to put her seat in the upright and locked position.

Steffen, who was a few inches off six feet, drooped his head onto Emily's shoulder. His skin was much, much tanner than Matt's or Emily's put together, a light brown in color. His black hair was full but not as thick as Matt's, and it spilled onto Emily's face, causing her to sneeze when she breathed in through her nose. His eyes snapped open, looking up at her and smiling.

"We're almost here," Matt said, looking excited and apprehensive at the same time.

"It's nothing special, I warn you," said Steffen, stretching as he sat up, "Nothing from what you guys said Hogwarts was like."

"I don't think anything could be as beautiful as Hogwarts," said Emily dreamily, "I still can't believe we're not going back this year…"

"I'm sure we will," Matt said as the plane touched down on the runway, jarring them all enough to knock a couple carryon bags out of the overhead bins, "And this pilot doesn't know how to properly land a plane, it seems…"

"We should've used brooms," commented Steffen dryly as the plane slowed down enough to move to the terminal.

When they finally unloaded the plane and gathered their belongings, the three teens headed for the bus stop. Bemused slightly as to what to do next, and with the light disappearing as the sun went down, Matt held out his hand with his wand concealed up his sleeve.

"Knight Bus?" asked Emily.

"Of course," Matt said, referring to the purple triple-decker bus invisible to Muggles and used all over the world by wizards to get from one place to another.

However, the loud bang that emitted from thin air this time produced not the gigantic bus in a rather terrible shade of violet, but instead a stretch limousine that was at least seven normal car-lengths long. When it came to a halt in front of them, all three with wide eyes, a man dressed like a butler stepped out of the car and bowed slightly.

"Greetings and good day. Knight Transportation welcomes you aboard the Knight Limo. You did flag us down, correct?" asked the man, eyeing the three.

"Yes," said Matt, "We expected the Knight Bus, though…"  
"Well, what do you think this is? England?" the man asked with a chuckle.

"You mean they don't use the Knight Bus everywhere?" asked Emily.

"Oh, no, of course not!" the man said, "England and Ireland have the Knight Bus, America has the Knight Limo, and there's many more. The Philippines have the Knight Barge, Japan has the Knight Bullet Train, and, of course, Pakistan has the Knight Mule-Drawn Wagon."

Emily and Steffen cackled at the last one, but Matt was already climbing into the Limo. The others followed, and the man did likewise. The interior was, if possible, more spectacular than the outside. Instead of being stretched to five car lengths, it was stretched to fifty car lengths, with full arm chair seats sitting side-by-side along the wall. Nearly a quarter of these were taken up by witches and wizards looking to be from various dress styles. A couple teens around their age also carried bags with the Salem crest on it.

"Where to?" asked the man, drawing them each up a bottle of butterbeer.

"Salem Institute," said Matt, handing him money for all three tickets. Emily and Steffen looked at him exasperatedly, much as they always did when he paid for stuff for them out of nowhere.

"You're in luck. We have only two stops before there, so sit tight and enjoy the ride. And no, we're not nearly as uncomfortable as the Knight Bus, before you ask," he said with a smile, catching the look on Matt's face.

The butler man moved to a small phone and apparently called up to the driver to tell them they could go. There was another loud bang and suddenly they were shooting along the countryside, stopping to let off a wizard carrying a few animals that resembled chickens. Another bang and they were picking up six teens from Louisiana, also bound for Salem. Another blast and they picked up an obviously very pregnant woman, which resulted in an emergency stop at one of the more famous wizard hospitals in New York. One more blast and they dropped off a family in the Bronx, and, finally, they came to a halt in front of Salem.

"Salem Institute for Magic!" called the man. Immediately, fifteen teens climbed out in front of Matt, Emily, and Steffen. The final three climbed out, and the Knight Limo disappeared within seconds. It was still twilight, and they were in some sort of deserted field for which they could see miles around. A large lake stretched out of sight into some woods from far away, and numerous flowers and other plants grew in front of them.

They were looking the wrong way, however, and when they turned around, Matt and Emily blanched. They were looking at their new school, Salem Institute for Magical Arts. Despite Steffen's warnings, they had expected something beautiful and magnificent, something only done by magic. They were sadly disappointed.

The small, narrow campus in front of them was filled with large, rectangular, gray buildings with black roofs. The windows were square and large, and nothing special radiated from them. They looked like nothing more than old apartment complexes. The pathways between them were gravel, and the area around them was dirt. The flowers started growing again about 500 feet from all sides, but it seemed no vegetation would get closer to the horrible buildings.

"Wow… this is really ugly," Matt muttered, as the three stepped across the road.

"Yeah, Hogwarts was so… so much more beautiful," said Emily.

"I warned you," said Steffen, grimly, "Come on, let's go find our dorm rooms."

They went into the main building. Many students had obviously already retired for bed, even though it was early. Matt and Steffen both had their own rooms, and Emily's roommate had been withdrawn, so she got a room to herself as well. Suffering from jet lag and disappointment, the three went to sleep at nine and woke up at seven. They were ready for the Welcoming Assembly, which started at eight, and they joined the hundreds of other students in the stuff auditorium for the opening statements.

Only three people sat on stage, two men and a woman. One of the men looked bad-tempered and had lots of black, sleeked-back hair. He wore a Muggle suit, his clothing crisp and clean. The woman, with lots of brown, bouncy hair, was also wearing a Muggle dress suit, with matching platform shoes. And the man in charge was old and bald, and he seemed he was going to die at any moment. This wasn't helped by the fact his voice was old, cracked, and very hard to understand.

The Orientation took about half an hour. It was mainly a welcome or welcome back, a few school wide changes that had no major effect on anything, and a new dress code. To the three friends' horror, they were given Muggle uniforms to wear, with a dress-down allowed on Fridays. Then, they were released and told to report to their first period class. Matt, Emily, and Steffen quickly dashed to their dorms, changed, and picked up their schedules (which had magically appeared). They were all given the same courses based on their O.W.L. results, and then reported for Transmutation, the equivalent of Hogwarts' Transfiguration.

The teacher for this class was old, wrinkled, and even more bad-tempered than Argus Filch. She snapped when she talked, surveyed them all with narrowed eyes, and, when she asked them to perform a proper Vanishing Spell, she gave a skeptical look to Matt, whose hand had gone up.

"We haven't even learned this yet," she snapped, smacking her wand against her thigh.

"We did in Hogwarts," Matt said earnestly, "I know I can do it."

"Very well, but I expect perfection!" replied the teacher, Ms. Krenchaw.

"What shall I vanish, ma'am?" Matt asked, trying to sound reasonable.

"This," she pointed to an eraser.

"Right. _Ev_-" Matt began.

"SILENTLY!" shouted Ms. Krenchaw.

"Huh?" Matt asked, looking confused.

"Your spells are required to be silent this year," said Ms. Krenchaw, eyes narrowed, "You know that."

"No we didn't," said Emily before Matt could talk, "We were never informed of that in our letters."

"Well, it doesn't look like your dear old Hogwarts is as advanced as Salem now, is it?" said Ms. Krenchaw superiorly.

"We learned Vanishing last year in Transfiguration," Matt said with a slightly derisive laugh.

"Are you saying I don't teach to an adequate level?" Ms. Krenchaw demanded in a whisper.

_No, you don't!_ Emily and Matt thought at the same time. However, the both shook their head.

"Then I suggest you both sit down and shut your mouths until you can do something correctly. Now then, can anyone do a _proper_ spell?"

The rest of the day was much like that. Their Charming class also required them to speak within their minds, although their teacher, Mrs. Clearwater, was much less harsh. However, the Dark Arts Defense class was a joke, they were doing spells and curses and counter-curses learned by Hogwarts students in their Third Year (it was particularly amusing to watch their frustrated classmates' spells ricochet off them with very good Shield Charms.) In another extreme, however, their Every Day Magic class (one that was a branch of Charms with emphasis on day-to-day spells, such as cleaning and cooking) was next to impossible, even if the teacher was understanding and nice.

Then there were the classes they had never before been exposed to. Healing Magic was a class taught by an irate little Chinese man who tried in vain to get people to mend small cuts and bruises. Astrology dealt solely with horoscopes and matching people up with interests. And they even had to take a Muggle Education class everyday, which was Math, Science, English, or History.

To their dismay, many classes Hogwarts offered were absent from Salem. There was nothing in the Care of Magical Creatures department. Herbology was unheard of. And whenever Matt asked about Astronomy, he immediately got answers for Astrology. This was, to Matt, the most upsetting thing as many of his favorite classes were either not offered or not presented in a way that was learnable to him.

The thing that narked Emily and Steffen off, however, was the amount of homework. In Hogwarts, the workload was bad, but they also had days to finish it since they didn't have some classes each and everyday. At Salem, any assignments were due the next day, and some were enough to keep them up until one. Emily normally didn't do homework if she could help it, but Steffen warned her to do her best or she'd regret it. By the first Friday, they were missing six assignments and their grades averaged about a seventy. Matt had turned his work in, but his grades were also around the eighties.

The icing on this horrible cake, however, was the attitudes of their peers. It was as bad as being stuck in a normal high school, complete with stereotypes and the social "ladder." But that would not have affected any of the three… but they were on the bottom of this ladder because of the fact they supposedly thought they were so great because they went to Hogwarts. Indeed, when Emily and Matt wore their robes on dress-down day in hopes of making them feel more at home, everyone in all their classes had laughed at them and Mrs. Krenchaw had filed a complaint with the principal. On Sunday, September Fourth, Matt had made up his mind.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts," he said, furiously packing his trunk, the same one he'd used last year. There had been a list of supplies delivered before they'd set out for Salem, and Matt was pleased to see he was only missing three books: one for Transfiguration, one for History of Magic, and one for Charms.

"Why?" Emily asked, looking up from a rather obnoxious Transmutation homework paper.

"I can't take this anymore," Matt said, "The classes are either too hard or too easy, the teachers are morons, for the most part, and the student body in general is horrible."

"So you're just going to give up and leave?" Steffen asked.

"Of course," said Matt, "I admit it, I'm a quitter. But Hogwarts was so much better. Emily, how can you still say you don't want to go?"

"I…" Emily began, but stopped. She seemed to think for a moment, and then her face became set.

"Em?" Steffen asked.

"I'm in," she said, tearing up all of Ms. Krenchaw's assignments, "I can't deal with it either. We've got one teacher like Mrs. Shanner, an angry little Chinese Nazi, and our Principal looks seconds from death. I will not deal with this any longer."

"Well… see you guys later, then," said Steffen, turning to leave.

"What are you talking about?" Matt asked.

"You're going to Hogwarts," said Steffen.

"Don't be a dumbass, you're going to," said Emily. Steffen turned to her, grinner, and rushed away to pack his things.

**Don't review just yet, this was the worst of all the chapters. Read a little more before your review.**


	2. Ch 2: Return to Hogwarts

**From The Author's Mind…**

**Disclaimer: Same as before. It's all Rowling's fault D. Anyway, this is an obnoxiously short chapter, so, please, forgive me on that. Chapter 3 makes up for it, I swear!**

Chapter Two: Return to Hogwarts

"I see neither Matt, Emily, nor Steffen decided to join us today," said Ms. Krenchaw happily that day. The class grinned, some a little dejectedly. It was always fun to watch Krenchaw argue with someone, but those three were just weird.

"Well, let us—" she started, but broke off when the door opened.

Matt walked in, dressed in his Hogwarts robes, complete with Ravenclaw scarf around his neck. Without looking around and keeping a straight face all the time, he marched up to Ms. Krenchaw, whose mouth was wide open. With a cheery smile, he handed her the paper.

"W-W-What are you doing?" she sputtered.

"Handing in my last homework assignment," Matt said, holding his broom at his side.

"Last!" exploded Ms. Krenchaw, "What do you mean?"

"I'm leaving," Matt said, simply, "I'm going to return to Hogwarts where we learn properly."

"What!" shouted Ms. Krenchaw, everyone's smirks at Matt's appearance replaced with looks of shock, "You dare defy me and then threaten to leave!"

"Defy? No. Threaten? No. Leave? Of course. Oh, and Emily and Steffen are going with me, they just wanted you to know that," said Matt, smiling, "Bye!"

He turned, ignoring the whispering and shrieks from Ms. Krenchaw. With one last wave, he met Steffen and Emily out front.

"Did you say good-bye to everyone?" Matt asked, mounting his broom, which had his trunk attached to the bottom.

"Oh, yes we did. Mr. Ching was very happy to see us go," said Steffen.

"Well, let's go. It's a long flight to Hogwarts," said Emily.

They kicked off just as the doors burst open and students and teachers flooded out. Their principal, Mr. Torrence, ran out with surprising speed.

"Where are you going!" he bellowed.

"We're going back to Hogwarts," Matt called.

"Yeah, see you later, assholes!" Steffen added.

"May you all burn in hell!" Emily said, pleasantly, and then the three took off without any further ado. They flew for barely a half hour and finally arrived at the Atlantic Ocean. Then, they flew for another eight hours, each listening to music or finding other ways to keep themselves entertained. They had only one scare, nearly smashing into a Virgin Atlantic seven-forty-seven going west, and, by nightfall, they were across the sea. And, by midnight, they were following the tracks to Hogsmeade. They left the town, cold, tired, and ready for a nice, long sleep. When they reached the gates, they opened for the three.

"Isn't that strange…" muttered Emily, sleepily. They walked up the grounds, Steffen gaping at the beautiful castle, getting bigger and taller with every step. It took them twenty minutes to walk from Hogsmeade to the front doors. As they approached, however, Matt wondered how in the world they were going to be able to get in. That was answered as they hit the front stairs. The doors opened and they were almost blinded by the bright light that spilled out from the doors. A tall figure stood there, and there was no mistaking the long, white beard and half-moon spectacles.

"Welcome. I see you've decided to return to Hogwarts," Professor Dumbledore said, allowing them to enter.

**From the Author's Mind…**

**Again, please don't review yet. There are still plenty of chapters to go, and then you can review. I promise!**


	3. Ch 3: NEWT Classes

**From the Author's Mind:**

**If you're still reading this far, I promise you, your efforts will be rewarded starting right at this very moment. The first two chapters were a little slow, so, I'll be letting you pick-up right about here… NOW! Oh, and… um… I should warn you, it's VERY long, and I've got quite a bit of language in here. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED; DON'T YELL AT ME… please…**

Chapter Three: N.E.W.T. Classes

"I see you've found Salem to be… ah… inadequate for your tastes," said Professor Dumbledore cheerfully as they sat in his office later. They had eaten supper in an empty Great Hall and their stuff had been secretly moved to their dormitories. Cyclone and Red Wing were sitting on their respective owners' shoulders, sleeping. Steffen also had an owl on his shoulder, a small brown thing by the name of Fury. He was properly named due to his tendencies to attack and try and tear off appendages to whoever offended him.

"Very much so. It was dreadful," Matt said.

"Steffen, how did you put up with it?" Emily asked.

Steffen just shrugged, still looking around the magnificent room. Matt and Emily looked back to Dumbledore, and noticed his hand.

'Sir, what happened to your hand?" Matt asked, looking at it.

"Oh? This?" Dumbledore said, showing his hand to the three, "This is nothing more than a small accident due to lack of reflexes."

"Oh…" Matt and Emily said, neither complete convinced.

"Old age. It happens," said Dumbledore simply. Matt and Emily nodded, and then the Headmaster's attention turned to Steffen.

"And who is this young man, may I ask?" Dumbledore queried.

"Steffen Jett… I'd like to enroll here," Steffen said, quickly.

"That won't be a problem, will it? I know it's sudden and all…" Matt said quickly, "But… well… we really don't want to go back to Salem."

"You have the choice to make your educational decisions for yourselves," said Dumbledore, "And, since Salem offered to pay your way for anything you wanted, I assume you made financial plans around this, so Hogwarts will be glad to do the same for you."

"No, you don't have to," said Steffen quickly.

"Nonsense. It's my way of welcoming you to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, beaming, "There are, however, two things I require of you…"

He stood and crossed to a large cabinet. On top was the one and only Sorting Hat. Dumbledore smiled fondly and picked the hat up, placing it on Steffen's head before he could re-act. The Sorting Hat, which had been snoring at the time, was rudely awakened.

"That time of year already?" he muttered sleepily, "Well, then, let me see…"

There was a long pause and the group feared the hat had indeed gone to sleep again. However, another couple minutes later, it said "Ravenclaw" in a sleepy voice.

"That's it, then," Dumbledore said, "Congratulations Mr. Jett."

"Thanks, sir," said Steffen.

"Now, you need your schedules. However, since you don't have your O.W.L.s with you, I trust you'll be able to know which classes you can and can't attend. Here are a few copies of the master list…"

He pulled out his wand and three schedules appeared in front of them. Each took one and glanced at it.

"Just use these and you should be fine. I'm sure you'll have a great year. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Passwords" Emily asked.

"Ah, yes, Ravenclaw's password is San Salvador and Gryffindor's is Dilligrout," said Dumbledore.

"San Salvador? What is Sinistra doing this year I wonder…" muttered Matt.

"Cities I expect," Emily said, and then to Dumbledore, "Thanks so much, Headmaster."

"Enjoy the rest of your week. I'm sure you'll find out what you missed for your first day soon enough," Dumbledore said, opening the door for them.

"He seems nice," said Steffen as they made their way towards their Common Rooms.

"He's the greatest," Matt said, "See you, Emily!"

Emily had been turning to go to the Gryffindor Common Room. She and Steffen said goodnight with a kiss, and then Steffen followed Matt. He seemed to still be a little nervous and out of his usual character.

"Where is this crazy Common Room place?" he asked Matt as the two walked down some stairs to the fifth floor.

"Right over… oh shit," muttered Matt. Mrs. Norris had just stalked out of sight. Worse, it was almost one. If Filch caught them, it would be very hard to explain.

"Run," muttered Matt, and the two took off running through the corridor. They reached the portrait of the men eating a supper in the painting, and it swung open as Matt shouted the password. The Common Room inside was not very full, although a few Ravenclaws were working on their homework or reading. A large group, however, at on a couple sofas by the fire: they were the Sixth Years. Matt put his finger to his lips and motioned for Steffen to follow.

"… and he did say he wasn't going this year…" muttered Lisa, looking sad.

"Man… I'm gonna miss having him around," said Dakota.

"He was pretty good with that Lumos Solarum spell thing," said Nathaniel.

"At least he isn't suffering from angry and worried parents pulling him from Hogwarts," said Padma Patil, "My parents still want Parvati and me to go home."

"I wonder how he likes Salem?" asked Jack Hacker, lounging with Melody Moon, lying parallel to him on the same sofa.

"I guess he likes it…" Lisa muttered, staring into the fire.

"Guess again!" Matt said, standing up from behind Lisa's couch.

Everyone jumped, and then Lisa shrieked and threw herself onto Matt, both collapsing into a hug. Everyone else grouped around him, although Steffen managed to extricate himself from it before it became too tight. They were all talking at once, asking questions and giving him welcome-backs and the like.

"Thanks," Matt said, beaming, "But I want you all to meet someone. This is Steffen, our new dorm mate."

"Hi…" said Steffen awkwardly as he shook hands with everyone. Lisa, still clinging to Matt's arm, had tears falling from her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked her.

"Thought I'd never see you again…" she muttered quietly.

"Oh… come on, I'd never leave Hogwarts," Matt said, "Salem sucks."

"Royally," Steffen added.

Everyone chuckled and moved off to bed. It was very late and they had lessons tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Emily had worked her way to her Common Room with no troubles from anyone. She passed six or seven people in the room itself, chatting and working on their first days' homework. Red Wing was still on her shoulder, and she patted him affectionately before opening the door to her dormitory. She took a deep breath and took a step in. Sure enough, the sight that met her eyes did not fill her with glee.

Bridget O'Riley, Gertrude Shaw, Brittany Baker, Prudence Comstock, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown all sat on and between Gertrude's and Prudence's beds. They were flipping through fashion magazines and gossiping loudly. Emily could see Hermione Granger in the far corner, near the window, reading a book and trying to tune them out. She had a really angry look on her face, and Emily assumed it was from their mindless roommates.

"So, like, as I was saying, that little brat won't be back this year…" Bridget was saying while Prudence painted her fingernails.

"What a relief, she's a demon, as is that bird of hers!" Gertrude said.

"I always said Hogwarts was only for Brits and the Irish, no Americans should be allowed in," said Prudence in her haughty voice.

"It's almost like a plague," Lavender said.

"And guess what?" Emily called, "The Black Death is back!"

All of the girls on the beds gasped and jumped, sending their magazines and nail kits flying. Hermione looked up and relief spread across her face before she turned her attention back to her gigantic book. Red Wing glared at the girls, snapping his beak twice before he soared out the open window next to Emily's bed.

"And guess what else?" Emily said, taking a few steps toward the girls, "I am not putting up with any of your shit this year. You start on me, my friends, or do any gossiping about any of the mentioned above, and I will personally hex your pathetic bodies to dust. Have we an understanding?"

"You can't do that… you'll be expelled!" shouted Prudence.

"Try me," said Emily, her voice cold, "And I suggest you keep your hands off all my things. You wouldn't want to break your perfectly manicured nails, right?"

"Like, who would touch your gross stuff?" Bridget asked.

"We'll see," Emily said with another deadly smirk. She walked over to her bed, which was on the opposite wall as Hermione's.

"I see you haven't changed," said Hermione over the cover of her book.

"No one has, apparently. Did I miss much today?" Emily asked, climbing into bed.

"Hmm… well, Snape is with Defense Against the Dark Arts now, and our Potions teacher is very… large."

"No way… Snape with Defense? That's… dangerous," Emily said.

"Yes… Harry thinks so, too. Well, I have to have this read by Wednesday, so…" Hermione said.

"I get the hint. Goodnight," Emily said, closing the hangings around her bed and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Matt, Emily, and Steffen arrived in the Great Hall to meet their other friends. Rachel introduced Matt to a few of her new First Year friends: Rebecca Gibbons, Lisa's red-haired new neighbor, Terri Thompson, a girl with curly, brown hair, large, thick glasses, and a few freckles, and Isabel Moon, Melody's younger sister.

"Nice to meet you all," said Matt while Emily and Steffen walked over to the Gryffindor table to have some breakfast.

"You dated my sister last year, didn't ya?" Isabel asked, munching on some toast.

"For a while, yeah," said Matt, "But we decided we just weren't right for each other."

"Yeah, that's what she said. Well, we have to get to Charms. See you around!" said Isabel, leading the way for many of the First Years.

"She's a natural leader," Matt commented to Rachel as the two joined Ravenclaw for breakfast.

"And the most popular First Year in the group," said Rachel, picking up an apple and beginning to chow down on it, "It's because of Melody. She's also the most popular one in Ravenclaw, so it's only natural that Isabel becomes the most popular in Gryffindor."

"She'll have to beat Bridget O'Riley and her crew…" muttered Matt as the entire group of girls walked in, arm and arm, as though they were part of a bridal party.

"Oh, no, not that kind of popular. The nice-girl-that-everyone-likes kind of popular. Although she does have a bit of an ego at times…" said Rachel, frowning slightly, "So, why weren't you on the train?"

"Well…" Matt said, and quickly explained about his first and only week at Salem. She nodded and told him he'd made the right choice to return, and then she had to leave for History of Magic. Matt was joined by Lisa a moment later, and the two enjoyed a Danish and a glass of milk.

"Hey Harry…" said Emily as she and Steffen took seats next to the Creevy brothers.

"Hm? Oh, Emily, hi!" said Harry, smiling when he saw them, "I didn't see you last night."

"We got in about midnight I think. Long story," said Emily, taking the nearest bowl she could find, "Holy shit! When did they get Ramen!"

"A few days ago," said Ron, whose mouth was full of some sort of cereal.

"You've changed, Matt," said Harry, looking at Steffen.

"Wait? What? No, no, I am most certainly not Matt!" Steffen said, glancing back at him.

"Wait… then who are you?" asked Harry.

"Our new exchange student," said Emily, ruffling Steffen's hair playfully. He poked her in the ribs in return and she hit him with a spoon.

"Ah… I get it," said Harry, grinning.

"But, yeah, Matt's over there with Lisa and Rachel," said Emily, pointing.

"Oh, okay. So he hasn't changed, then," said Harry, smirking.

"So, what classes do you have today?" Ron asked, having finished his cereal.

"Hmm…" said Emily, "Tuesday… Double Herbology… then the morning break… oh, awesome, free period until Lunch, then Double Transfiguration and then Charms and Astronomy at midnight tonight."

"Ah… what other classes are you taking?" asked Hermione, who had just arrived.

"Um… well, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures," said Emily.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione winced at the last class, but said nothing. Hermione congratulated Emily on accomplishing so many O.W.L.s before she left for Herbology fifteen minutes early. Harry and Ron followed a few minutes later. Matt and Lisa walked over from their table to bid Steffen and Emily good-bye.

"I don't even need to wake up until much later," said Matt, looking happily at his schedule, "I don't have Herbology this year, thank God."

"Good for you," Steffen said, "Where is this crazy Herbology lesson anyway?"

"Right this way," said Lisa, walking towards the exit to the Great Hall. Matt followed them outside, and then decided he was going to go find a way to entertain himself for two hours.

"See you at break!" he called, retreating into the castle.

"Well, then, let's go to class," said Lisa, brightly.

They trudged across the bridge and then made a sharp turn to walk parallel with the drop off and eventually walked to the green houses. Emily noted that almost all the Gryffindors were here, as well as all the Ravenclaws, except Matt, and all of the Hufflepuffs. Only three Slytherins, Pansy Parkinson, Jo Hammet, and Ashley Vincent, were present.

"Welcome everyone!" said Professor Sprout, throwing open the door to Greenhouse Five, "Come inside, quickly, quickly, we have to get under way."

"This lady looks crazy…" Steffen muttered.

"No, crazy is Trelawney, but we don't have to worry about her this year," said Emily.

"Thank God…" muttered Harry from a few feet away.

"Good morning Sixth Years!" called Madam Sprout from the front, "I'm pleased to welcome you to your first N.E.W.T. Herbology class. Now, this term we will be covering some of the more dangerous plants in the world, starting with Flesh-Eating plants!"

"Great," muttered Steffen, "I just love plants that try to rip off your skin and suck on your internal organs."

"Shh…" Hermione snapped to him and Steffen gave her a cold look.

"Now, who can tell me the properties of a Flesh-Eating plant?" asked Professor Sprout. Three hands went into the air: Hermione's, Neville's, and Hannah Abbott's. Hermione was quickest, however, so Professor Sprout called on her.

"They are plants that are, of course, very dangerous, but they normally look like a dead, harmless plant," said Hermione.

"Ten points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger, correct as always," said Professor Sprout, beaming, "Obviously, their name suggests they attack and try to eat flesh. Does anyone have any idea what attracts them?"

This time, Neville's hand beat Hermione's by a fraction of an inch.

"The bodily oils from our skin. Sweat, blood, that kind of thing attracts them. They find it delicious for… whatever reason…" Neville said, looking faintly sick at the thought of it.

"Another ten points for Gryffindor!" boomed Professor Sprout, "Now, we'll be starting with some of the more docile of these plants, the Fanged Geranium. We began covering these before your O.W.L.s last year, but we didn't have time to do them justice, or so I think. So…"

They spent the rest of the lesson learning and reading about the attributes of Fanged Geraniums. Emily didn't find this very useful or interesting, so she contented herself with a game of poking the Fanged Geranium and trying to get her finger away before it snapped her. Steffen watched in amusement for a moment before he poked her in the ribs again.

"Ack!" Emily screamed, falling off her stool. The greenhouse burst out laughing, and Emily got up, smacking Steffen over the head with her gloves.

"Mr. Jett, I know you're new to this school, but I suggest you learn to behave yourself. Your sixteen, young man, not six!" snapped Professor Sprout.

"Sorry," muttered Steffen to Emily.

Emily, who thought it was just as funny as the rest of the class, pretended to be hurt and angry, and he spent the rest of the class tickling her and poking her and trying to make her laugh again. Finally, when class was almost over, Professor Sprout assigned them two reading assignments for October, and an essay, due by Thursday. Groans followed this, seeing as many of the Sixth Years already had copious amounts of homework to do. When the bell rang, everyone filed out.

"Look on the bright side," said Emily as Steffen expressed his displeasure of Professor Sprout as they walked along, "We have almost three hours of free time before our next lesson."

"Whoop-de-fucking-do…" Steffen said, while they rounded the corner of the sharp drop.

"Oh, you're being stupid," Emily said, laying her head on his shoulder. He grinned and stroked her hair.

"Where do you think Matt is…?" Steffen wondered aloud as they re-entered the castle.

Matt had been spending most of his morning running around the castle in pursuit of Cyclone. The hummingbird had seen fit to wake up in the pocket of Matt's robes and, as usual, panic from the confusion of being lost. So, for the umpteenth time, Matt was pursuing the tiny bird. His quest ended, however, on the third floor when the bird and Matt almost ran head-long into Professor Snape, who was leaving the Staff room.

"Do watch where you're going… Warren?" Snape said, eyes narrowing, "Since when do you attend this school?"

"Since last year," Matt said, calmly stowing Cyclone back into his pocket, "You remember having me in class, don't you?"

"Ah… yes, your Potions were very substandard and you seemed to enjoy causing a fuss and drawing attention to yourself," said Snape smoothly, "Much like Potter."

"Yes… I suppose that was me," Matt said, not waning to invoke his wrath.

"Tell me… are you enjoying your Potions classes now?" asked Snape.

"I don't take that anymore," Matt said, wondering what Snape was trying to get him to do.

"Yes, well… unfortunately, I am still not rid of you. You will see me for Defense Against the Dark Arts, I'm sure," said Snape, eyes narrowed.

"You're teaching…" Matt began, shocked.

"That's right, Warren, I am. Now, I suggest you get to class before you are late. Oh, and ten points from Ravenclaw for running in the corridor," Snape added at the end.

"I knew it," muttered Matt, "I knew he was going to get points from me at some point. Well… oh, joy, Divination!"

Matt walked alone to Professor Trelawney's tower. He wasn't sure how he felt about having her for a teacher again. Sure, she had been kind of… well… fake in their previous year, but what she taught them was understandable, unlike Firenze…

When he reached the spiral staircase, he wondered if he'd be the only person in the class or not. However, when he ascended the stairs to her room, he found that this was, sadly, not the case. There were a total of nine people in this class: Matt, Shailagh Hacker, Lillian Sicily, and, to Matt's horrible displeasure, Bridget O'Riley, Gertrude Shaw, Prudence Comstock, Brittany Baker, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown. No Slytherins had made the class, which didn't surprise Matt in the least.

"Well, this is peachy," Matt said, sitting alone at a table, "I'm the only guy in this class and I'm stuck with Bridget and her posse…"

"It won't be that bad," said Lillian Sicily, who had overheard him, "We'll just have to ignore them is all."

"Matt Warren, right?" said Shailagh, looking sharply up at him.

"Correct," Matt said, turning to face the two girls.

"I'm Shailagh Hacker. Jack's brother," said Shailagh before Matt could ask.

"How'd you—" Matt began.

"Believe me, I have had many people ask me how we're in the same year," Shailagh said, "When he's almost two years older than me. Yeah, he went to Hogwarts a couple years late, the same year I did. No real story to it, actually."

"Wow… and you knew I was going to ask that, too," Matt said, looking a little surprised.

"She's a psychic. More-so than Trelawney at least," Lillian said, "Why don't you come sit with us?"

"Alright," Matt said, picking up his bag and moving to the table with them.

Shailagh had deep, red hair, held in a bun. Some days she put chopsticks there for decoration, other days, like today, she didn't. When her face was relaxed, she had a very serious look about her, her eyebrows pointed downward slightly. Her eyes were a blazing emerald, and her skin was just tan enough to make these features stand out perfectly.

Lillian was something else altogether. She was pale, rather pimply, and had blonde hair that hung down to her elbows. She had on the same kind of glasses Matt did, except hers were square and made her head look awkward. Her appearance was something that clearly amused Bridget and company because they kept looking at her and giggling behind her back.

"Good morning my dears…" came the mystical voice of Professor Trelawney, coming out from behind her fabric-like door. As usual, she was decked out in many shawls, beads, and heaven knows what else. Her glasses made her eyes look huge, and she gave off the faint smell of cooking sherry.

"Well, I can see she hasn't changed…" muttered Matt to Lillian who rolled her eyes. Bridget and her friends seemed to think even laying eyes on Professor Trelawney was painful for them.

"My dears…" continued Trelawney, "You have done well in reaching this point. Very few ever make it to the N.E.W.T. Divination class, and it is these few people that possess the Inner Eye…"

"And by that she means we're the only ones crazy enough to waste a class period in this room…" muttered Brittany Baker, causing giggles from every girl in her group except Parvati and Lavender.

It was unclear whether or not Professor Trelawney heard this as she swept towards a rack of old, dusty books. She lifted these up with some difficulty and slammed them on the ground a few feet away.

"We have seen how tea leaves, the stars and planets, the lines of our hands, and, of course, the crystal ball can tell us our future. And now… it is time for us to consider the numbers that make up our very selves and our existence," said Professor Trelawney with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Do you mean like how much money we have?" asked Prudence Comstock, quite possibly the most moronic person Matt had ever met. Shailagh, Lillian, and Matt all snorted and laughed, causing looks of disdain from their classmates.

"No, no, no," said Professor Trelawney, shaking her head and sending a few beads flying, "I mean the numbers that make up us! Our names! Our birth dates! Our whole existence can be stemmed out from numbers! It is time, everyone, that we pursue the difficult path… of _Numerology!_"

Matt stared at her. How could a bunch of numbers tell him what his future would be like? He had no time to ponder before Professor Trelawney passed out the large, dusty books to each person in turn.

"Read the introduction, if you will. We must first get a great understanding of Numerology before we can put it to practice," said Professor Trelawney.

It was extremely dull and morbidly confusing. Matt's mind kept wandering as he tried to digest the paragraphs of different numbers, the ways they were calculated, and how they were to be used in Divinations. About twenty minutes into the period, he looked up. Shailagh was actually reading and digesting the information, turning the page very couple of minutes. Lillian was staring at one page, eyes immobile. And everyone else was either whispering behind their books or reading a magazine between the pages.

"Time is up, everyone," came Professor Trelawney's call with five minutes to go, "Please return your books to the shelves, and you may leave early. Be ready for a discussion next class!"

"God, that woman is a buffoon!" snarled Gertrude as the class descended the steps a moment later. Parvati and Lavender exchanged a look, but said nothing.

"Yeah, like, how can a number tell me who I am? They can't have numbers for everyone, right?" Bridget said, "I mean, like, I am special, there is no one out there like me!"

"This is a very, very good thing. Saves people like me the trouble of getting put on death row," said Shailagh as she rushed ahead for her next class.

"Yeah, keep walking, Hacker, you know we're right!" Prudence called.

"Just like Numerology has everything to do with our Net Worth, right Commi?" called Shailagh before she rounded a corner. Matt clearly saw a smirk on her face.

Prudence let out a scream of frustration, and the girls immediately started to insult Shailagh to make her feel better. Matt sighed impatiently and bade Lillian good-bye before heading to Binns' room. He found the corridor outside deserted. Worse, when the bell rang, he was the only one in his room. Even Hermione had failed to show up.

"… I can't believe I'm the only one taking History of Magic," muttered Matt, slamming his head on the desk.

Professor Binns floated through the chalkboard and picked up his notes. He took one look around the room, took attendance (with Matt being the only one on the roster), and immediately set in to his notes about the Inquisition. Matt vaguely wondered whether Binns would have carried on the class even if he wasn't there anyway…

After forty-five minutes of forcing himself to take notes, Matt felt rather pleased with himself when he met everyone else for lunch. He had a full parchment of writing, plus he understood exactly why the Muggles had felt the need to prosecute and destroy so-called "witches." The only thing that bothered Matt was when he asked Binns to repeat a sentence, he had been called "Mr. Walters" again.

"You would think that since I'm the only person in that class he would at least get my name right…" muttered Matt angrily. Emily was doubled-over from laughing, and Steffen was also holding his side. Both had found it extremely amusing that Matt was the only kid in Binns' room.

"And how was Divination with the Crazy Lady?" asked Steffen.

"Boring as hell. Although, I have new found respect for Shailagh. She certainly shut Bridget and her friends up a couple times. And Prudence Comstock, the one Shailagh calls Prudence the Communist, seems to think our net worth is what Numerology is."

This renewed the laughing from Emily and Steffen. Lisa had turned up when they passed the Library, having started work on her Herbology essay already.

"Any homework?" she asked him brightly as they locked arms.

"Short essay for Binns," Matt said, "Did I tell you I'm the only one in his class?"

"Told ya!" Lisa said with a grin, "No one takes History of Magic!"

After lunch, everyone reported for Transfiguration. This was the fullest class ever, and nearly eighty percent of the Year was attending (although many Slytherins were absent). Professor McGonagall wasted no time into diving into the lesson, without more than one sentence of congratulations into making it to the N.E.W.T. class.

"Today we begin our discussion on Conjuration," she said briskly, "This whole semester will be about conjuring things. To begin our lesson, I'd like each of you to open your Advanced Guide to Transfiguration books to page eighty-nine and read the introduction to Chapter Five: Conjuring and Creating."

They group was, once again, immersed in terribly dull reading assignments. It took them all at least half the period to read the seven-page introduction, citing all the types of conjuring and a few examples of how it is done. When the bell rang for the end of the first part of the double-period, Professor McGonagall ordered them all to close their books. She then verbally quizzed everyone, awarding house points to those who got the questions right and reprimanding the ones that didn't answer correctly.

"Tonight, I want you to start reading Lesson 1: Basics of Rematerialization. I want an essay on two rolls of parchment summarizing the important points of this section by this time next week. This lesson alone goes to page one hundred and sixty-seven, so you should have no problem with it."

She ignored the groans and complaints as all teachers are trained to do, and then warned them to keep quiet until the lesson ended.

"Well, you can't say the N.E.W.T. classes don't live up to their name, right?" asked Lisa as they left the room.

"Why did I let you guys talk me into going to here? The homework at Salem is not nearly as bad," Steffen moaned.

"Just bullshit most of it. It's what I do," Emily said, shrugging, "Our test grades will make up for it."

"Suppose you're right…" Steffen said, grimly, "But at least the teachers here are intelligent about what they teach, unlike the dumbasses at Salem…"

"That's the spirit!" said Emily with a grin.

"Yo! Guys!" came another familiar voice from behind them.

"Jose! There you are," Lisa said, smiling.

The Hufflepuff boy pushed his way through the crowd and arrived at their side a couple seconds later. Mateo struggled behind him, and Lillian Sicily followed him. All three beamed at the group before resuming their walk to Flitwick's room.

"So, have you guys been able to do any spells silently yet?" asked Mateo as they stopped for a group of Slytherin Seventh Years to pass (Emily and Steffen kept walking).

"Oh God… we need to know how to do that here, too?" groaned Steffen, remembering Salem's wants.

"Not yet, we're just learning it. It was what our Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson was about yesterday," explained Jose.

"And Snape's teaching it, too," Matt said angrily.

"He can't be that bad," Steffen said, not noticing the looks on everyone's faces, "But anyway… what are we doing in Charms?"

"We're starting to learn how to do Elemental-like spells. You know… making water, ice, fire, light and darkness… that kind of thing," Lillian said excitedly, "And when we're done with that, we're moving into Illusionary spells!"

"Her favorite," pointed out Shailagh, who had come from almost nowhere, "She can already do a decent Disillusionment Charm."

"Quickly, everyone, come inside!" squeaked Professor Flitwick from outside his door. Like Transfiguration, this class was almost full, indeed there seemed to be even more students in this room than in the other room. And, as usual, Professor Flitwick had to stand on a pile of books to be heard.

"We will be working with the Elements!" he squealed happily, his stacks of books wobbling dangerously.

"Wow, are you sure Lillian's not the psychic?" Matt muttered to Jose, who was sitting next to him (Emily and Steffen were in the tier below, both actually paying attention this time).

"We will start with Water, the one that makes up life. Then we shall move to Fire, Earth, Lightning, Ice, Wind, and briefly touch on light and darkness," continued Flitwick, "And that should take us up to about Christmas. If not, we'll be beginning Illusion Spells, the kind to make people invisible or to make something invisible… visible!"

Matt could see Lillian shaking with glee. She looked even more excited than Hermione, whose arm was quivering with anticipation, just waiting for a question.

"But today, we're just going to have a free day," said Flitwick, causing tremendous cheers and applause around the room. A couple people asked if they could leave, and Flitwick nodded, before returning to organizing his room.

"This is excellent!" said Steffen, "I like that little man."

"Yes, he's a very nice midget," said Emily.

"Unlike a few others…" muttered Steffen darkly and Emily shared a glance with him.

"So, with our new free period, where do we go now?" Matt asked, smiling happily.

"I say we go do homework," said Lillian. Mateo was the only one who though highly of this; everyone else thought she was mad.

"Quidditch, anyone?" suggest Jose.

"Oh yeah… when are try-outs?" Matt asked, hoping to score a spot on the team.

"Last night," Lisa said.

"What!" gasped Matt and Steffen at the same time.

"They didn't want to waste time. But, as usual, they picked the poster children of cool," sighed Lisa, "It was terrible. No girls were picked, and Cho Chang is no longer on the team. And Frost, the Beater, is captain."

"Okay, we need to do something about this," said Matt, "Having only seven players for one house is totally unfair."

"We should start our own team!" said Emily, "And then we'd kick their pretty-boy asses!"

She had meant it as a joke, but Matt had that thought with him all night long. What if they could start up a team… no, a whole mini-league? One that didn't interfere with the house teams and one that would allow anyone who wanted to play a shot at being good? This thought was kept with him all the way to the Astronomy Tower, until the door opened up and exposed the heavens.

"Good morning, class," said Professor Sinistra from her desk on the roof, "Welcome to the N.E.W.T. Astronomy class. We're going to be dealing with planetary influences on magic, the deeper constellations, and all sorts of other fascinating things from space."

There were only fifteen people in this class: Matt, Emily, Steffen, Lisa, Jose, Mateo, Lillian, Shailagh, Mandy Brocklehurst, Melody Moon, Blaine Carlson, Jack Hacker, Daphne Greengrass, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones. Once again, no Slytherins and only one Gryffindor.

"Let's begin with a quick review game. I don't feel like making you learn tonight, so… give me the planets in order, backwards!"

Six hands flew into the air, but Hannah Abbott was the one called. She did it in ten seconds flat, earning her five points for Hufflepuff. The Hufflepuffs, which made up the majority of the class, congratulated her.

"Name all of Jupiter's Moons!" said Sinistra, where Melody answered for a ten point bonus to Ravenclaw.

"Name all of Mercury's Moons!" Sinistra demanded.

Matt's hand was up, although many had fumbled slightly, "There are none!"

"Five points to Ravenclaw," said Professor Sinistra with a smile.

It continued in that fashion for the rest of the hour-long class. By the end of it, Matt has scored almost twenty-five points, Emily had ten, Steffen had eleven, Lisa had banked one whole point, and the rest of the class had anywhere from one to Daphne Greengrass' forty-six. Then it was back to the dormitories and time for sleep.

Emily and Steffen had to get up early again for the next days' lessons. They had Double Potions first thing in the morning, and they approached the dungeon room with sleepy faces and deep regret that they couldn't sleep in. They walked with the Ravenclaws taking Potions this term: Terry, Blaine, Jack, Mandy, Lisa, and Padma. While the Ravenclaws chatted animatedly about the upcoming class, Emily and Steffen yawned and stretched, and indeed Emily had put her head on his shoulder and allowed him to guide her at one point.

When they saw Professor Slughorn for the first time, their eyes popped. The only teacher that size either had experienced before was Mr. Lemmon, a computer teacher at their former junior high. This man appeared to be even bigger than him and, indeed, anyone they'd met apart from Hagrid. It took them a couple minutes before they could tear their eyes away from him and turn to their attention to the work at hand.

"Oh-ho!" said Professor Slughorn as Emily and Steffen took out their cauldrons and scales, "And who are these two people?"

"Emily Davis," Emily replied sleepily.

"Steffen Jett," added Steffen, rubbing his eyes.

"Hmm… Davis… Davis… I don't seem to recall the name. And I've never heard of Jett before…" said Slughorn. Harry had just walked in, however, and their gigantic Professor rushed off to greet him with much enthusiasm.

"Waddle waddle waddle…" muttered Steffen as he walked away.

"Well, apparently we're not interesting… not famous or the kin of famous wizards," said Emily, opening her book to the potion of the day: Pepper-up Potion.

"So how do we make this potion…" Steffen asked, yawning.

"I'm glad you asked!" said Professor Slughorn, "Open your books to page sixteen! Find your ingredients from your stocks or the cupboards, and get mixing!"

"Brilliant," muttered Steffen, "Thanks for all the direction…"

"Oh, and you two, we did a Draught of the Living Dead last time in class. I expect you both to make it up for homework… what night is good for you?" said Slughorn, cornering the two Americans.

"Thursday…?" suggested Emily.

"Right, then, seven o'clock Thursday evening," he said, beaming, and then moving off to examine Harry's work.

"God dammit… we have to make up the assignments we missed?" swore Steffen.

"Potions is a snap, and without Snape, who would've just given us zeros…" muttered Emily.

They worked diligently throughout the whole class. Emily followed the book exactly as it told her, and it turned to a bright red, much as it should have been. Steffen, who had more of a magenta color, asked what she had done to do that and why his wasn't quite the right color.

"You probably added just a little too much crushed pepper," said Emily, checking the instructions, "You can fix that by putting in this little herb thing…"

His potion did change into the right color, but it also started to hiss slightly. When he looked questioningly at Emily, she shrugged, unsure of what to do. When Slughorn passed by their cauldrons at the end of the period, he smiled to both, but had no words of praise. Harry, however, got top marks and was given great congratulations from Slughorn, who stated no one had ever done a better Pepper-Up Potion on their first try.

"Well, that was pretty easy," said Steffen when he and Emily emerged for their morning break.

"Yes, I've always enjoyed Potions, despite the fact Snape is a vile, evil teacher. Oh… and we have him this afternoon," Emily said, glancing at her schedule.

"Everyone seems to be afraid of him," Steffen commented when they spotted Matt in the Entrance Hall.

"For good reason. He hates Gryffindors, and only awards points to Slytherin," she said.

"Good morning, guys," Matt said brightly as he shoved through a pack of Hufflepuffs. A few of the guys glared at him as he went past, muttering behind his back.

"And what's so good about it?" Emily asked.

"I've just got up a half hour ago," Matt said, "Don't you just love free periods?"

"Yeah, they're great," Steffen said sarcastically, "But at least we've got one after Transfiguration… wow that's a weird name."  
"Really? I could've sworn Transmutation was a worse name…" Matt said, "And besides, I don't have that luxury of getting out of a class. I've got Divination, remember?"

"Whee! You and the crazy lady," Steffen taunted, "Have fun with that."

"I will. Shailagh and Lillian are lots of fun," said Matt.

"And we have to do some homework tonight," Emily warned Steffen, "That Potions essay is going to take a long time, and I do not want to get in trouble with a decent Potions teacher."

"Bah… we have all weekend," said Steffen.

"I hope Trelawney doesn't give us any homework," muttered Matt, "Lest I be spending half the rest of my life doing homework."

"Luna?" said Emily suddenly, looking over Matt's shoulder. Indeed, Luna Lovegood was walking by wearing a very strange pair of glasses with many colors.

"Oh… hello…" she said dreamily as she descended the staircase. A few people made rude comments behind her back.

"How was your summer, Luna? We heard you went to Sweden?" Matt asked, wishing Steffen's horrified look would disappear.

"Yes… but we think the Crumple-Horned Snorkack has moved on to Norway and Russia…" said Luna, smiling, "So if Dad continues to make money with _The Quibbler_, I'm sure we'll be off to Siberia next summer."

"That's fascinating," said a haughty voice from behind them, "And I'm sure when you find that Crushed-Horn Smokestack, you'll make a fortune exploiting it to America."  
"Zacharias Smith…" muttered Matt angrily.

Sure enough, Zacharias Smith, Justin Finch-Fletchley, William Kaylo, and the Mateo Martine the Americans hated stood behind Luna. They seemed to have made it their sole purpose in life to make Luna's life a living hell, something Emily and Matt didn't put up with.

"Keep on walking," warned Emily, brandishing her wand.

"Or what? We're in the middle of a crowded room, I don't think you're going to be able to do anything to us," William said with a smirk.

"Yeah, you dumb bitch," added Mateo for good effect.

Steffen suddenly rushed forward and punched Mateo squarely in the face. He flew backwards and smashed his head off the banister, bleeding from his nose. Justin and William helped him to his feet, throwing furious looks at the Ravenclaw.

"Don't you _dare_ call her a bitch again, asshole!" snarled Steffen, "Next time, I'll jinx you like the sack of shit you are!"

"What's going on here?" came two shouts at once.

From the dungeons came Professor Snape sweeping towards the scene, and from the double oak doors came Professor Sprout. Both descended upon the students, while the crowd of onlookers took a few steps back.

"He punched me in the face!" said Mateo thickly through the blood pouring out of his nostrils.

"He called her a bitch!" snarled Steffen.

"Be that as it may," said Snape coolly, "This does not give you an excuse for Muggle brawling in public. Twenty points from Ravenclaw."

"And detention!" said Professor Sprout in ringing tones, angrier than either Matt or Emily had ever seen her, "With me! Seven o'clock on Friday night!"

When the scene had cleared and Mateo had walked to the hospital, the group set off with Luna for Transfiguration (she was going to Charms, right down the hallway). Lisa had caught up with them by this time, and all but Luna were keeping up a stream of insults to the Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. By the time they had arrived at McGonagall's room, Steffen had calmed down and wasn't as upset.

"Take your seats, everyone," barked Professor McGonagall, "As today is only a single period, we need to accomplish as much as we can. I'd like to start our discussions about Conjuring things out of nowhere. Can a person explain to me the main two differences and how they vary in difficulty?"

Hermione, to no one's surprise, was the first of only three hands in the air.

"It depends greatly on the wizard's strengths of thinking. For those who think more creatively, inanimate objects are much easier to use because you have to be able to picture clearly the object," said Hermione, "However, those who are more logical thinkers can bring live objects out with less strain because it is more of knowing you have to get everything involved with a living thing correctly."  
"Very well explained, ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor McGonagall, "Indeed, the type of thinker you are will be shown in how you do in your Conjuring. Can someone tell me the properties to each?"

This time, Matt had his hand up a fraction of an inch before Hermione.

"Well… with inanimate objects, you have to clearly think out each specific thing about the item: texture, size, color, materials, that sort of thing," Matt began, struggling for words, "With living objects, you might not need as clear a picture, but you have to remember respiration, circulation, the general living things."

"Good explanation. Ten points," said Professor McGonagall, nodding approvingly, "It is not that simple when you first start out, however I expect you all to be able to conjure an armchair and a mongoose by Christmas."

"Is she serious?" muttered Steffen, "We didn't even start touching on that until this year at Salem…"

"It's the same here," muttered Emily, looking a little troubled, "And I had a bit of trouble with Vanishing last year, so this might just be harder."

"We will begin working on our conjuring first thing next week," continued Professor McGonagall, "We will start with small things: grass, shot glasses, and other small objects."

Emily had been listening to this, and a thought struck her.

"Is a plant considered living or inanimate?" she wondered aloud.

"A very good question Miss Davis," said Professor McGonagall, "Although I do wish you'd raise your hand when speaking."

"Yes, ma'am," muttered Emily.

"This is another thing that applies to the witch or wizard in general. While plants do undergo photosynthesis and are considered living by Muggle scientists, some witches and wizards just won't believe them to be alive, while others think they are. It all depends on your perception, and that will also affect how well you conjure…"

She continued to explain things in this fashion for the rest of the class. Many were so confused you would think she spoke Portuguese for the whole of the class. The Americans had a rough idea of what she was saying, but putting it into practice was quite another thing. Worse, they had to be able to do the nonverbal incantations, which none of the Americans had any practice at.

In Matt's Divination class, Trelawney didn't waste any time in getting them to practice Numerology with the basic numbers. It took them nearly half an hour to finish their own names and look up their supposed personality traits in their Numerology books, and this was slowed by the constant wails of, "I don't get this!" from Bridget and "I'm confused!" from Prudence the Communist. Shailagh looked ready to kill someone by the end of class and Lillian was upset because one of her personality traits was supposedly a lack of self-esteem which would lead to a lonely life.

"You know you can't really trust those books," Matt said as she walked with her head down after class.

"Yeah, trust me, Lil, this is going to be a good year for you, socially," said Shailagh.

"Are you saying that as a psychic or as my friend?" Lillian asked.

"Both," said Shailagh confidently.

When they went to Charms, Professor Flitwick informed them they were to take a short quiz to find out their most compatible element. It was a strange quiz with questions about everyday life and interests. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, blood type, astrological signs, and almost everything you can think of for a whole hour and a half. When the class let out, Matt's hand had cramped up and Emily and Steffen were discussing their hopeful elements.

"I think he said we would get either Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice, Lightning, Spirit, Light, and Dark," said Matt, still massaging his hand.

"… Spirit?" said Steffen with a bemused look, "Is that even an Element?"

"I'm not sure," said Emily, "I never heard of it… but I hope I get wind or water."

"Fire," said Steffen with a cackle, "I nearly always get Fire."

"I'm sure to get Light," said Lisa, walking next to Matt, "I always do when I take those strange online quiz things."

"I want Water," Matt said, "Free, flowing, the essence of life... without me, you'd all be dead!"

"Yeah, right..." said Steffen with a smirk.

"You're not important enough to support all life," Emily added as they made the turn to Snape's classroom.

"I'm not looking forward to this at all," Lisa said, looking worried.

"It'll be fine," said Emily.

It wasn't. Within five minutes, it was apparent Snape was going to make this class a living hell for the Americans as much as he would for any of the Gryffindors. When they first arrived, he peered intently at them and froze on their names during roll. Then, he asked for their homework.

"You were to have written me an essay on non-verbal incantations," he said, "Turn it in, now!"

When he noticed he didn't have any for Matt, Emily, or Steffen, he adopted a cold smile and turned to the three, who were sitting in the front left corner.

"Why do you three not have assignments?" he asked.

"We weren't here last time," said Emily, bluntly. She wasn't about to put up with his crap.

"And do you think that this excuses you from the assignment?" Snape asked in a low voice.

"No," Matt said, hoping to divert the inevitable trouble, "We just..."

"Good. Because, despite the fact that you are Americans and not from Britain, you should not expect any special treatment. I wonder, even, how you all managed to get O's on your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.," continued Snape.

"Because we did what the examiners told us to do nearly perfectly, I expect," said Steffen, staring evenly at the vile Professor.

"I don't like that tone, Mr. Jett," said Snape in a quieter voice, "You are new, so I'll only deduct five points from Ravenclaw. Next time, you get detention."

"Like I don't have enough of those," muttered Steffen.

"Well, since you three seem to have the gist of it, I want a demonstration," said Snape, turning away to walk to his desk, "Starting with you, Warren."

Matt froze, eyes wide. Snape gave him a cold look, and Matt scrambled to the front of the room. Snape withdrew his wand and pointed right at Matt.

"Perform any charm or hex that comes to your mind. Cast it non-verbally," he said.

"O-Okay..." Matt said, mind reeling.

If anyone knew Matt, they knew exactly what he was going to do. None of them were disappointed. Having had extra training in spell-casting all summer long, Matt was able to cast a rather feeble _Lumos Solarum_ spell silently. Snape, however, merely sneered at the effort.

"A pathetic attempt. You need to clear your mind! Otherwise you'll never pass this class... like some others..." Snape looked pointedly to Harry at this point.

"Mr. Jett, you're next," said Snape, "Same thing."  
Steffen concentrated, but two minutes of solid effort provided him with nothing. So he muttered the spell very quietly, and nearly caught Snape off guard. A few people gasped when a _Petrificus Totalus_ spell shot out of Steffen's wand, but it was immediately blocked by Snape, who sent it straight into poor Neville Longbottom. Ignoring him, Snape took a further thirty points from Ravenclaw.

"Now, you Miss Davis," said Snape.

"Alright, I know what to do," Emily said, facing opposite Snape.

"Oh, I don't think so," said Snape coldly, "You are going to block _my_ spell this time."

The tension in the room was so thick it was almost suffocating. Emily, however, merely pushed her hair back out of her eyes and held her wand at the ready, eyes narrowed.

Snape lowered his wand and focused. A Stunner shot out of the wand, and a look of triumph spread across his face. Everyone gasped when the spell seemed to bounce of Emily, who had managed to get a Shield Charm out. A few Gryffindors clapped and whistled, although Bridget and company looked a little annoyed that Emily hadn't been knocked out. Emily merely gave Snape a look of mixed venom and triumph before resuming her seat.

"I want a one thousand word essay on Unspoken Spells by tomorrow morning," Snape said to the class, "Give me everything. Components, mind focusing, benefits, drawbacks, leave nothing untouched. I will be checking word amounts, so don't think you can get away with eight hundred words."

Everyone groaned, many muttering about how much work they had to do in other classes. Snape glared at the Americans one last time before sweeping to his desk. He picked up a book and opened it, and they spent the rest of the class answering questions about Unspoken Spells, and were also given the assignment to brush up on it overnight for a fresh go the next day.

"God dammit I hate him!" snarled Steffen as everyone left Defense Against the Dark Arts. A few people had gone straight to the Library to begin their work. Lisa and Matt were among them, and Emily and Steffen grudgingly followed. It took them until six to find enough information for an essay. Matt was actually making a story out of it, hoping it would be better than a straight-out essay.

Astronomy that night was a very interesting night. They had the opportunity to look at Muggle Astronomy pictures and compare them to wizard's moving pictures. Then it was back to their Common Rooms to finish Snape's essay and then go to bed. Thursday morning came too early, and Snape was there to collect their essays. He then set them into pairs to practice silent spells again, promising a hefty homework assignment to those who couldn't complete it.

Matt lost Ravenclaw ten points for nearly blinding everyone with a much more powerful Lumos Solarum spell. Jose, who was partnering him, had to go to the Hospital Wing to get an eye potion from Madam Pomfrey, so Matt was forced to partner Millicent Bulstrode, which was horribly boring because she was as incapable of casting a silent spell as Matt was of lifting up a full-grown dragon.

Emily partnered Hermione Granger, and was strained to the point of sweating to counter her spells. At the end of the class, both girls had managed to hit each other at least once with spells and had countered countless others. Snape passed them by without a comment.

Steffen was partnering Neville and it was even more of a joke than Millicent. Steffen was still having trouble with the silent casting, but by the three-quarter mark, he had Neville successfully in the Leg-Lock spell. However, Neville couldn't do anything to Steffen, and he nearly passed out trying to do _Wingardium Leviosa_. Theirs was a rare success, however. When Snape assigned homework, only Matt, Emily, Steffen, Hermione, Lillian, and Shailagh were able to produce novice to decent unspoken spells. Everyone else was given another long essay due by their next class.

Morning break was a time of catching up on homework assignments. Any essays or questions or reading forgotten by any student was finished or hastily done during this half hour of freedom. Emily, Steffen, and Lisa had Potions, which was nothing more than Harry getting praised by Professor Slughorn and Hermione getting pissed that she wasn't coming out on top.

After Lunch, Matt had Divination and History of Magic, while Emily and Steffen had Double Herbology. Both classes were equally amusing seeing as Professor Sprout ignored Emily and Steffen completely, Shailagh and Bridget and company got into an argument, and Professor Binns had already started class before Matt even arrived. The only downside was the homework. Sprout gave Emily and Steffen two three hundred page books to read over the course of the next month, along with an essay due by next class. Trelawney gave the class eight names to decipher and give predictions for using Numerology, and Binns gave the usual assignment on his lecture.

In Charms, they got their results. Nearly everyone was right: Matt got Water, Emily got Wind, Steffen got Fire, and Lisa got Light. They later learned Jose and Shailagh had both gotten Spirit, while Mateo and Lillian shared Earth. Then came their project: write a report about their element, due in two weeks. This took the momentary joy out of getting their results, and everyone felt the weight of homework crashing in on them.

Friday was a glorious day for the Americans. None of them had any classes until after lunch, so they slept right in until eleven, went down for lunch, and then had to report to Transfiguration. After a confusing lesson where no one seemed to grasp anything Professor McGonagall said, the Americans, Lisa, Jose, Mateo, Lillian, and Shailagh set off for the Grounds for Care of Magical Creatures. The Americans, who had only had one year of classes, were particularly interested in what was to come. But when they arrived, Emily and Brittany Baker were the only two Gryffindors. There were no Slytherins at all, although the Ravenclaw house was represented by Matt, Lisa, Steffen, Jack, Nathaniel, Blaine, Rachel, Melody, and Mandy. Jose and Shailagh were the only Hufflepuffs that braved another year of Hagrid.

Hagrid stepped outside of his hut with a huge crate that no ordinary man could ever dream of lifting. Hagrid held it with his left hand and tossed a large carcass of something to Witherwings, the Hippogriff in front of his house that Emily found to be enchanting and beautiful. He then led them all to a flat area and asked them to spread out amongst themselves.

"All righ' now," said Hagrid loudly as everyone settled in, "I see yeh've been waitin' for me surprise, eh? Well, here it is! Yeh get to raise these…"

He opened the box and with drew an egg. However, this was no ordinary egg. It was nearly the size of a basketball, and had a very thick shell. The main color was an earthy-brown, but it was speckled with small patches of dark green and white. Hagrid beamed around at the class as a few registered looks of astonishment.

"Can anyone o' you tell me wha' I've got here?" he asked.

Matt hadn't the foggiest idea. Emily and Steffen both had a shrewd suspicion, but weren't about to guess in case they were wrong. It could get Hagrid in a lot of trouble. After about ten seconds had past, Shailagh's hand slowly rose.

"… Gryphon eggs, sir?" she queried hesitantly.

"Absolutely righ'!" exclaimed Hagrid, "Ten points ter Hufferpuff!"

"… Hufferpuff?" muttered Steffen with a laugh. Emily also chuckled, although Matt was looking frightened, and he wasn't the only one. Mandy Brocklehurst was the next to raise her hand.

"Um… are… aren't they illegal?" she asked, looking extremely nervous.

"Normally, yeh," said Hagrid, "But, Professor Dumbledore has acquired special permissin' for us ter raise 'em."

Emily and Steffen looked ecstatic. A few other people did look interested to a somewhat mild extent, but a majority of the class still looked shocked that they were going to be handling some of the more dangerous beasts.

"Righ' then…" said Hagrid, "Movin' on! Who can tell me what Gryphons resemble? Miss Davis?"

"They have the head and front legs of an eagle and the body and hind legs of a lion," said Emily at once, having gotten her hand in the air quicker than anyone else.

"Ten points ter Gryffindor!" said Hagrid, putting the egg down on the ground, "What do they eat? Uh… I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Steffen Jett," said Steffen, having also gotten his hand up first, "And they eat raw meat, although they're not too picky about what it is."

"That's also correct!" Hagrid said, proud that at least some students were taking interest in the class, "Ten points for Ravenclaw. What is their man purpose? Mr. Martine?"

"Guarding treasures and property," said Jose confidently.

"Ten more points fer Hufferpuff!" Hagrid roared, looking ecstatic that a class was going so well, "Now, these eggs will take about another two weeks er so ter hatch, and then we can begin raising them properly. Are there any questions at this point?"

"Aren't they ferocious and dangerous?" Lisa asked.

"Only ter those they haven't bonded with," said Hagrid, "But ter those who raise 'em, they are loyal and trustworthy. We're going to be training them fer Gringotts, see…"

"I knew there was a catch…" muttered Emily sadly.

"… but until then, we get to raise 'em!" finished Hagrid, "Now, if yeh will please turn to yer chapter on Gryphons…"

They read the chapter on Gryphons for the rest of the lesson, and Hagrid assigned them a small report to do by Monday. They would also be picking their eggs on that day, so everyone, with either excitement or apprehension, left Care of Magical Creatures at the sound of the bell. However, with their first week of lessons finished, the amount of homework the Americans found waiting for them was very alarming. Worse, they were going to start using unspoken spells in all classes starting in the next two weeks, so there was a mad dash of practicing this for the rest of the weekend.

Matt, Lisa, Emily, and Steffen spent most of their Saturday working on Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments. They also managed to start Transfiguration before lunch, but then separated. Matt found Lillian and Shailagh, and the three worked on their difficult Divination homework for nearly an hour before they separated to do other work.

Emily and Steffen, meanwhile, had finally started their Potions assignment, which was due on Monday. They had no idea how Slughorn would react to a half-assed assignment, so, rather than risk detention… they did the best they could. Matt joined them about an hour later, and the three finished their long Transfiguration assignment by nightfall.

Sunday morning, Emily signed up for Quidditch Try-outs and then she and Steffen ran to the Library to finish their Care of Magical Creatures projects. They worked on Charms and finished their Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments because you just didn't mess around with Snape. Afterwards, they wrote something down for Herbology and called it a day, heading out to swim in the lake with the Giant Squid.

Matt and Lisa, meanwhile, worked from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon on their assignments: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, and Astronomy. While Lisa worked on her Potions assignment, Matt wrote his History of Magic essay and tried in vain to work out his Divination. When they had rolled up their last scroll and stowed the last books away, both collapsed in a chair, their minds exhausted.

"Well… we've got the rest of the afternoon free. What shall we do?" asked Lisa.

"Dance Dance Revolution," Matt said, almost at once, "We'll find Luna and Rachel and Ginny and we can all play."

"Sounds good to me," said Lisa, sitting up and helping Matt up.

However, they only recruited Luna. They couldn't find Rachel, and Ginny, somewhat reluctantly, was spending her free afternoon with Dean Thomas. So the three Ravenclaws got Professor McGonagall to transfer a scrap of parchment into their beloved seizure machine and the three "danced" until dinner. After dinner, Emily and Steffen joined them, although Steffen watched rather than dance. Even Ginny made an appearance after seven-thirty, but all had to leave at eight so Filch wouldn't throw them in the dungeons. Then it was back to lessons.

Snape collected their essays first thing on Monday and handed back their first homework marks. All three Americans had received A's, something that infuriated Matt due to the comments Snape had left. After class, during which they had been assigned yet another long essay after three-quarters of the class failed to silently cast the most basic of hexes.

"_This is not a storybook, this is a class assignment, so treat it as one._" Matt read furiously as the three made their way to morning break (which was followed by free periods until lunch and then Care of Magical Creatures).

"_Poor quality, not enough information. Try opening a book before you do an assignment of mine,_" read Steffen in a bored voice.

"_Try not to use certain teachers as examples for your essay subjects_," Emily said, "I guess he didn't appreciate me using him as a dummy."

"I wouldn't imagine so," said Lisa, who had managed to drag an E out of Snape, "Though I admit, it was bold of you to do so."

"I wonder if he docked any points," Matt said as the group passed the large hourglasses. At the beginning of the second week, Gryffindor led with eighty-four points, Ravenclaw was in second with seventy points, Slytherin was just behind with sixty-eight, and Hufflepuff had fifty.

"I doubt it," said Lisa, "She didn't do anything wrong, right?"

"Nothing at all," said Emily, stowing the paper back in her bag, "So, did you guys finish Care of Magical Creatures?"

That afternoon, Hagrid collected their reports with clumsy hands, vowing never to give them any additional homework again. This was something many found relieving, although the prospect of raising gryphons was quite enough to be going with. When Emily and Steffen went to Potions, Slughorn took their papers and set them to work on yet another Potion, where Harry came out on top once again.

The rest of the week continued in this fashion. Flitwick began taking them through the Elements, starting with Water. Along with daily reading and writing homework, he also introduced them to a list of thirty water-type spells that were to be accomplished non-verbally before October sixth. Professor Sprout continued the Flesh-Eating plants lesson, and everyone had to take extra caution in the greenhouses, though her workload wasn't as bad as many teachers'. She assigned a third book in addition to the other two, saying it was a good idea to get some background knowledge before continuing.

Professor Trelawney had been horribly disappointed in her class for failing to finish the eight names and their futures (although she commended Shailagh for getting about ninety percent of them right), so she set them to another task: get fifty students' numbers and get their futures for them by the beginning of October. This was a problem because no one was looking forward to asking random people their names and other personal information in which to derive their futures from.

When Emily and Steffen got their marks back from Slughorn (both getting E, but no comments), they decided he didn't care much about their particular homework papers. So, that resulted in them not putting as much effort into that section of their daily slave labor, and getting passing grades. Their in-class assignments, however, remained almost on par with Hermione, but Harry still managed to beat them out each class.

On the other hand, Snape and McGonagall kept up the longest stream of homework imaginable. Many Sixth Years spent sixty percent of their homework time on one or the other of these two classes, be it looking up complex diagrams to help them with an essay or frantically trying to get out that next counter-jinx nonverbally before the next class.

Matt was also finding it hard to keep his facts straight with Binns, and when the ghost-man announced a test on the following Tuesday, Matt was faced with an entire weekend of studying. But that paled in comparison to the panic that started when Snape announced that, during the third week, he would be testing students individually on their nonverbal spells. Since the class was a large one, it would take at least the whole week and possibly into the next, but everyone spent hours trying to belt out those spells without saying a word.

The only two classes that brought any sort of relief were Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy. With no homework ever from the first, and the prospect of raising gryphons just around the corner, it was fun to sit outside on the warm autumn days as Hagrid read from books that showed people the best way to raise gryphons and the easiest way to prepare food for the "little guys" as the author referred to him. Almost the entire class had received O's on their projects. As for Astronomy, while they still had nightly assignments, it was still relaxing to lie on mats and look up at the stars as Professor Sinistra paced between them, talking about tales from the heavens and pointing out galaxies with her wand.

On Thursday's Herbology lesson, Professors Sinistra and McGonagall had walked down to the greenhouse, grim-faced. After speaking quietly with Professor Sprout, Professor Sinistra took over the class and their normal Herbology teacher left with Hannah Abbott. Shailagh had also been missing, and she was one of the first to fill everyone in.

"Her mother's dead," she said grimly to a large group of students, many of them Hufflepuffs, "She was found this morning… it was… horrible…"

"How would Shailagh know?" Emily asked as she, Steffen, Matt, and Lisa met in Charms afterwards (Professor Flitwick had been complaining about a buzzing in his ears and was instead observing as students showed him their progress with the Aguamenti Spell).

"I don't know. I asked Jack and he kinda got this nervous look and said she must've had a headache again and was in the Hospital Wing. But that can't be right because Terry was in the hospital for most of the day when he failed Snape's test this morning, and while he confirmed Shailagh was there, Hannah never arrived," Matt said.

"So perhaps… she had a vision?" suggested Lisa, "I mean, she is a psychic after all…"

"Of sorts," added Steffen, "So what you're saying is… Shailagh had a vision, then got a horrible migraine, and then was in the hospital wing for most of the day. You don't think she saw her murder, do you?"

"Mrs. Abbott's? That would be horrible," said Emily, but quickly ended the conversation as Flitwick came over to check their table. All four received commendations for their good work, which was spoiled when the only other person at their table, Neville, flooded half the classroom.

By Friday, everyone was suffering once more from the huge amounts of homework, plus the tests that were due in the next couple weeks. One small ray of sunshine for Emily was the Gryffindor try-outs the next morning. She was hopefully going for Chaser, and, with the entire team open except for Seeker, she hoped to get a shot. When the day dawned for her, she was slightly annoyed to see all her dorm mates, except for Hermione, talking excitedly about Quidditch, but she didn't let that bother her. It would be fun to knock them off their brooms…

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Okay, we're done with the first worthwhile Chapter . Yay! You can review now if you want, but I suggest you continue to read the next few chapters before you review. Feel free to comment, though!**


	4. Ch 4: The InterHouse Quidditch League

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Moving right along, here's Chapter 4. I hope you're starting to enjoy this now! Feel free to start leaving comments at your discretion.**

Chapter Four: The Inter-House Quidditch League

"Good luck, Emily!" Matt and Lisa called as the two headed for the stands to get a good seat. They caught up with Hermione, who looked extremely angry at first.

"You'll be fine," said Steffen, embracing her.

"I know, especially if I get to try-out against Romilda Vane and Bridget O'Riley," said Emily with a smirk.

He kissed her lightly on the lips before going to the stands. Emily was shocked to see the amount of people trying out. She saw a few faces she recognized: Maria Martine, Katie Bell, and, of course, her dorm mates, but many of the students were new to her. Plus, she could have sworn that one kid with the messed-up eyes was in Hufflepuff…

Harry seemed slightly over-whelmed at first by the amount of people for try-outs. However, he found a very good way to thin out the crowd. He instructed each of them to form groups of ten and fly around the pitch once. The first group, to Emily's intense amusement, consisted of 1st Years, including Isabel Moon. She, however, didn't even get off the ground, but rather than being upset, she laughed as hard as Emily when Lloyd Irving crashed head-first into one of the hoops.

The next group was the ditziest group of them all. Bridget O'Riley and her group, along with Romilda Vane and a couple of her friends, giggled the entire time they were told to mount their brooms. Then, when Harry blew his whistle, they fell around each other, laughing hysterically. It was pathetic, although Emily laughed rather unpleasantly when Brittany Baker's broom handle slammed into Prudence's nose, causing a squeal of pain.

The third group started off good, no silly girls or First Years, but halfway around the pitch, something happened. The girl in front either sneezed or had a seizure, it was hard to tell which. This caused her to slam into the boy next to her, which lead to a chain re-action which caused an eight-person pile-up. The only two to avoid it were Ginny Weasley and a girl Emily heard called Demelza Robbins in the Common Room the night previous.

When Emily stepped up for the fourth group, she and Maria Martine were the only two with brooms. They flew once around the Pitch, but when they landed, they saw the entire fifth group were Hufflepuffs. Harry was not amused.

"If there's anyone else here who's not from Gryffindor!" he shouted, "Leave now, please!"

Only two Ravenclaws left the Pitch, laughing hysterically. But that was only the beginning of the headache. It took over two hours to get through the Chaser Trials. He ran them through basic drills, eliminating people who couldn't do something or another. Many complained, and one girl had a huge tantrum because the Quaffle was supposedly thrown too hard to her. Finally, there were only six finalists: Ginny, Katie Bell, Demelza Robbins, Maria Martine, Emily Davis, and Dean Thomas. Harry split them into teams of three, and set them to a mini-game. Whichever three won would be his new team.

After ten minutes, it was apparent that Emily's team just wasn't good enough. Emily and Maria worked well together, but the boy on their team, Dean Thomas, seemed to have suddenly lost his nerve. All the other opposing Chasers stole the Quaffle from him at least three times each, and Ginny actually knocked him off his broom during her seventh steal. When Harry blew his whistle, the score was two hundred and twenty to one hundred and ninety. Emily felt a little put-out, but congratulated the others all the same.

"That was a crock," Steffen snarled as the group of four left the stadium. Lisa and Matt had been expressing wishes to stay and watch the Beaters and Keepers, but when they were reminded of their horrible amount of homework, they desisted.

"So, have you two read those books for Sprout yet?" Lisa asked as they passed the Greenhouses.

"Ha!" Steffen laughed.

"No, and I don't plan to. Skim, maybe. Read, no," said Emily.

Matt had been silent all the way from the Pitch, which was unusual. He seemed to be concentrating very hard on the ground. Emily cut her eyes to him and wondered what it was about. She couldn't contain her curiosity when they reached the Courtyard, however, and she cut in front of him.

"What is your silence about?" she asked him.

"I was thinking," Matt said, having clearly practiced for the interruption, "We should really start our own mini-Quidditch League. Like an Un-Official one, where students from different houses can band together and be on friends' teams."

"That's a good idea," Lisa said, "Do you think they'd let us?"

"I'll have to speak with Professor Dumbledore," said Matt, "I'm sure I could convince him to."

"I wouldn't mind playing Quidditch," said Steffen, "Especially since the Ravenclaw team are a bunch of assholes…"

"I have a question… where would we practice? The House Teams will be booking the Pitch for about eighty percent of the time…" Emily pointed out.

"I'm sure we could work something out," Matt said, "Even between the Four teams, it can't possibly be booked all the time."

"No… you're right… but if we do get this League off the ground and we even get four teams, that's eight teams to book the Pitch for. Quite a bit if you ask me," replied Emily.

"I'm sure I'll be able to work something out," Matt said, "I'll talk to Dumbledore tomorrow morning."

And he did. After arranging it with Professor Sinistra, Matt went to Professor Dumbledore's office around ten the next morning. He seemed to be preparing to leave for a trip of some sort, straightening his office and putting his cloak on. When Matt knocked, however, he had stopped what he was doing and given Matt his full attention.

"Um… Professor…" Matt said, not sure how to begin, "A few friends of mine… we… we were wondering if… we could possibly start a Quidditch League?"

"Oh?" said Dumbledore, smiling down at Matt, "And how would you arrange this League?"

"Well…" Matt said, trying to remember all his ideas, "I was thinking… I could let people apply with teams and… then we could… well, run our own league. Like the House League."

"That's a very big ambition. I'm sure you understand the amount of work that would be required on your part, and I assume you'd like to play, right?" Dumbledore said kindly.

"Yes, and I know we wouldn't be given house points and such like that… and I was thinking… keeping passing grades would be important, because that's what they did before…" Matt said quickly.

"A fine idea," said Dumbledore, "Although I don't think it would go over well if they used that for the House teams."

"So… so do you think it would be okay to do this?" Matt asked, crossing his fingers.

"Well… you would have to not only organize the teams, but you would have to make sure you had reports from all their teachers and, of course, from Mr. Filch. Yes, I'm afraid that would also have to be in effect," said Dumbledore, spotting the shocked look on Matt's face, "And then you would have to do most of the scheduling. You know well, I'm sure, that the Pitch will be taken almost daily by other team members, so you would need to find new areas in which to practice…"

"I know this sounds funny," Matt said, "But I was thinking… would above the lake be okay?"

"It would. I'd be amazed if you could find a way to actually make that do-able, but I suppose that's not up to you, now, is it?" Dumbledore said, smiling at the ceiling as he contemplated it.

"And what about that large courtyard near the Greenhouses? Would that be okay?"

"Only for non-Bludgers," said Dumbledore, "I highly doubt Professors McGonagall, Vector, and Flitwick would appreciate being interrupted in the middle of grading papers by a stray bludger. But for Chaser and Seeker, it's fine."

"Sir, can you think of anywhere else?" Matt asked.

"Hmm… well, I suppose the grounds area near Hagrid's Hut. A bit of a slope, but it should be fine as long as you're in the air, right?"

"Yes, that would be good," Matt said.

"Well, I'll leave it up to you, then. Get in touch with all the staff members and Mr. Filch. Round up some students, and good luck. You have my permission," Dumbledore said.

"Thank you so much, sir," Matt said, "I'll make sure to get working on it right away."

"Well, then, have a good day," Dumbledore said, turning to continue packing.

Matt dashed out of the office and down the spiraling stairs. He almost immediately ran into Professor McGonagall, who started to scold him for running, but stopped short when Matt began to tell her his plan.

"That's a rather good idea, Mr. Warren," said Professor McGonagall with the hint of a smile, "I've heard plenty of mutterings about Quidditch Try-Outs, and this would be a good way to give them a shot."

"I thought so, too," Matt said, relieved that he had convinced one of the stricter teachers to go along with it.

"I shall speak to Professor Vector about it, and since I must pass by Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies, I will inform their Professors as well," said Professor McGonagall, "Once again, capital idea."

"Thanks," said Matt, running back to find Emily and Steffen in the Great Hall.

"Well?" Emily asked as Matt skid to a halt by the three at the Ravenclaw table.

"Permission granted," Matt said happily, "And McGonagall is going to talk to Vector and the people who teach Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes."

"Excellent. So what should we do now?" Steffen asked.

"Well, I'm going to spend most of the day clearing it with the rest of the teachers," Matt said, "If you guys wanted to help, you could make me four signs to hang in the Common Rooms."

"What do you want on them?" asked Lisa, taking out some parchment, ink, and a quill.

"The First Hogwarts Inter-Quidditch League…," Matt replied, "Um… mention how you can form a team… and then… just put who to contact if they have questions. And then the deadline to form a team is October Twelfth, the day of the first Hogsmeade Trip."

"Got it. And if they want to form a team?" asked Lisa.

"Give the list to the Heads of House. And I'll have a meeting on… September twenty-eighth for those who want teams or who think they want to be on a team," said Matt.

"Anything else?" Lisa queried once more.

"Not that I can think of," said Matt, "Alright, you guys have fun making signs, I've got to go talk to all the teaches. That includes Firenze and Trelawney…"

"Crazy Lady!" called Steffen as Matt left the Great Hall.

"Well, ignoring our homework, shall we help Matt?" asked Emily.

"Of course," Steffen said as the three went towards the Library to get supplies.

Matt went from teacher to teacher, explaining his idea over and over. This went over well with Flitwick, Sinistra, and Sprout, all of whom thought it was a very good idea. Professor Binns had gotten confused at first and thought it was time to start another class, but he did agree to give Matt weekly grade updates once he realized what was going on. Professor Slughorn seemed extremely pleased with Matt's initiative to start a new league, and hinted that there might be more to him and his friends after all. He couldn't find Hagrid at first, but was convinced by Professor McGonagall that he would be notified. Professor Trelawney and Firenze were a little frustrating because neither seemed to really pay attention to what he said at all, and one of them smelled horribly like cooking sherry…

But the bane of Matt's current existence was the hardest to persuade of all. He had left Professor Snape for last intentionally. If he failed to convince him, at least the rest of the teachers might be able to convince him. Matt approached the dungeon door, wondering why Snape chose an office so far from his room. He took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter," came the cool voice from the other side.

Matt pushed the door open and walked in. Snape was grading papers from Matt's class, and he thought he saw his name on the parchment Snape had given a P on.

"Well, this is a rather unpleasant surprise," Snape said, setting his ink down and folding his hands, "To what do I owe this distraction?"

"Sir, I've been to Professor Dumbledore about starting an Inter-House Quidditch League," Matt said, quickly, "And I was wondering… if I give you the names of people on the teams, can you give me a heads-up if their grades fall below average?"

"You're starting a what?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.

Matt re-explained his entire plan in a near monotone. He was sick of repeating himself over and over, and knew he would have to do it again when the student population found out about it. Snape surveyed him with an expressionless face.

"So, in other words," Snape said when Matt had finished, "I have to come find you once or twice every week and tell you who is failing my class? Why should _I_ waste my precious time for _you_?"

"Well, you don't have to," Matt said, "I can always come to you…"

"Yes, you will. Because I am not going to waste my time finding records of my unintelligent students and rushing around the castle to locate you," Snape said, "And I hope you're not expecting me to lessen the workload on you any just because you are undertaking an impossibly difficult job."

"No! Of course not," Matt said, "I just was hoping…"

"Well, fine then. But be warned: if this interferes with anyone's schoolwork in anyway, I will withdraw my permission. And no Slytherins will be permitted to partake," Snape said.

"Right, sir," Matt said. _Your permission? I never remember asking you for any…_

"Good. Now, please, I have much work ahead of me. I suggest you get to your homework as well, I expect better results than your last essay."

"Yes, sir…" Matt said, leaving and going to the Library.

"How did it go?" asked Emily when Matt met up with them a few minutes later. Shailagh, Lillian, and Jose had also showed up and shown great interest in helping.

"Typically, the only teacher that gave me grief was Snape. But everyone else was okay with it," Matt said, "And these signs are amazing!"

"Really? We've done our best…" said Lillian, who was just putting the finishing touches on a the fourth one.

"Really. They're beautiful," said Matt, reading one through.

**HOGWARTS INTER-HOUSE QUIDDITCH LEAGUE**

_Ever wanted to be part of your house's Quidditch Team but just couldn't make the cut? Or have you just wanted to go play the game with a couple friends, but different houses complicated this? Or have you just read this and decided: I wanna play Quidditch! Whether or not this is you, here's an offer you can't refuse: form your own Quidditch Team!_

_That's right, starting now, you can form up your own Quidditch Team, with anyone you want, even those from different houses! The Inter-House Quidditch League will run throughout the year, much like the House Cup, except with none of the benefits of being on the House Team. Sign up with six other friends and give the list to your Head of House, or give it to Matt Warren, Emily Davis, or Steffen Jett. A meeting for anyone interested is scheduled for September twenty-eighth, and all team requests are due by the first Hogsmeade Trip (October Twelfth). Good luck and good flying!_

"Brilliant!" Matt exclaimed after reading it, "It's one hundred percent perfect."

"You really think so?" asked Lisa.  
"Yes, I do. Emily, Steffen, thanks for helping me with this," Matt said.

"No problem. Besides, I wanna play, too," Steffen said.

"Of course. We have to get our own team around as well," Emily said with an evil smirk, "Oh, I hope Bridget and her friends start a team!"

"I'm sure they will. It is the cool thing to do, after all," said Matt.

"Whose going to put one up in the Slytherin Room?" asked Lillian.

"I'll ask that one girl… Jo Hammet. She seems less vile and evil," Matt said, "And make sure it's noticeable, please."

"Yes, Master, anything else?" Emily asked.

"I didn't mean it like that…" Matt said, looking a little frightened that he offended someone.

"Oh, calm down, I was just joking. Come on, it's going to be a busy week and we still have homework…" Emily said.

Indeed, it was. The next morning, the three Americans found themselves bombarded with questions from their fellow classmates. First Years to Seventh Years of all houses would corner them in the corridors, slide up next to them at meal times, or whisper to them in class. Matt even had a Gryffindor Seventh Year by the name of Cormac McLaggen follow him into History of Magic, where he remained for nearly half the period listing reasons why he and a few friends should have their own team (Binns didn't notice although Matt missed about half the notes).

Emily and Steffen were having a harder time keeping cool under the pressure. They had to resist snapping to one persistent Hufflepuff Second Year who couldn't stop herself from asking every question that came to her head. After enduring pointless questions about how hard the practices would be and whether or not red would look good against green for a uniform, Steffen snapped at her to go away and she rushed off in tears.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be back," Steffen said after he and Emily took a seat in the Great Hall for lunch.

"Yeah… and with six annoying friends," muttered Emily darkly. Matt, who had just shaken of Cormac for the eighth time, joined them.

"I'm sick of him already," Matt said, looking harassed, "He didn't seem to hear me all the times I've said, 'Alright, come to the meeting so we can discuss the finer points…'"

"Moron," Emily said, watching him sit with a couple of his friends, "I hope he gets knocked through a hoop himself."

Over the next two weeks, while still enduring the questions, the three found themselves being given teams' papers left and right. Emily had been correct in the assumption that Bridget and her friends would have started a team, although they changed their name every other day. Cormac had gotten a team together which included Maria Martine. And a Hufflepuff team with Zacharias Smith at the helm was also formed, though Matt found that strange.

"How do they plan to be on the House Team as well as their own?" asked Matt while he and the others poured over the lists of Quidditch teams.

"I don't know," said Emily, who had just received, from Prudence, the newest team name of Hogwarts' Princesses.

"He'll be having a hell of a time with it," said Steffen, "Two practices plus O.W.L.s will be brutal."

"Can't say we're doing much better," said Lisa, who was juggling team-reading and Charms homework.

"Matt… can I talk to you for a second?" came a small voice.

Matt turned and smiled when Rachel Younger walked over, looking awkward. She smiled and waved at everyone, but she looked back at Matt and asked him to follow her.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Well… you remember Rebecca Gibbons?" asked the young girl, "Well… you see, she wants to be involved with the Quidditch League you're doing, but no one will have her on a team."

"Oh? Aren't you going to be on a team?" Matt asked, looking surprised.

"Yes, I am, but we've already got seven people," said Rachel miserably, "I want her to be able to play… but… there's just not enough room."

"Hmm… well, I'll try to figure something out," Matt said, scratching his chin, "Unfortunately, there's no room on mine either. It's me, Lisa, and Jose as Chasers, Steffen and Shailagh as Beaters, and Emily's our Seeker, and Mateo is our Keeper."

"Oh…" said Rachel, looking slightly distressed, "Well… if you can figure out something…"

"Could she be an alternate on your team? In case someone gets hurt?" suggested Matt.

"We've already got alternates for everyone," said Rachel, still looking a little upset.

"I promise, I'll see what I can do," said Matt, another idea coming to him.

"Thanks, I really do appreciate it," said Rachel with a relieved look. She quickly departed, and Matt returned to the others.

"What did she want?" asked Emily.

"Someone wanted to be on a team, but there wasn't room. She wondered if I could do anything," Matt replied.

"And?" Lisa queried.

"I have two ideas. But I shall not reveal them until that meeting tomorrow," Matt said.

At noon the next morning, Matt, Emily, and Steffen stood facing the crowd in the Great Hall. There were nearly one hundred people there from each house. The Slytherins and Gryffindors had still managed to separate themselves on either side of the Great Hall, but others who were in different houses sat together. Everyone looked expectantly at Matt, Emily, and Steffen and when the bell toll in the distance, Matt addressed them.

"Good afternoon, everyone," Matt began, brightly, "Welcome to the first meeting of the Inter-House Quidditch League. I know many of you have lots of homework, so I'll make this quick. I just wanted to go over the ground rules—"

"Zacharias, shut up and listen!" Emily snarled to Zacharias Smith, who had his back turned to her and was addressing his team. He gave them a stony look, but he also turned and began to play attention.

"Er… yeah… well, first of all… I just wanted to make one thing perfectly clear. You need to keep your school work up to par with your teachers' standards. Yes, this includes those classes you hate, like Divination and such," Matt said, for groans had gone around the room.

"And certain… _Professors_…" said Emily, stressing the last word, "Warned us that if anyone falls below passing, they will withdraw permission from their house to participate." She looked pointedly at the Slytherins, many of whom scowled.

"And if you are ineligible, you cannot play. You can practice, but you will not be allowed to attend games. I know, it sucks," Steffen said as everyone muttered mutinously, "But that's the way it has to be to make this work."

"Why don't the House players have to keep their grades up!" shouted a Gryffindor from the back of the room.

"Remember what the sign said?" Emily called back, "About how you get no benefits of being on the House team?"

"Yeah…" said the boy.

"That's one of them," Emily said, "You must have passing grades, we play second fiddle for the Pitch, you can't win house points—"

"We aren't winning house points? Then what do we win?" demanded a Slytherin Seventh Year from the third row.

"The satisfaction of a job well done, bragging rights, and the respect or loathing of your peers," Matt said.

Then, to their shock, twenty people got up and left. Three teams had apparently only done it for the house points, and while two of the teams had been Slytherin, a Gryffindor team left as well. Matt watched them go with a surprised look, which was soon replaced.

"Well, since all we have left are the ones that like Quidditch for the sport itself, I'd like to explain about Pitch Booking. The House teams get to use the Pitch first, and if it's open, we'll do a system where those who haven't had it get first dibs, and then we'll go on who hasn't had it recently. Schedule practices with me, Emily, or Steffen."

"Well, where do we practice then?" Justin Finch-Fletchley called from the front row, "If we can't all use the Pitch."

"Well, we've been trying to work that out," Matt said, "We've got three other options: the Courtyard with the fountain, the grounds near Professor Hagrid's Hut, and over the Lake. The only thing is practicing in the Courtyard and Grounds during lessons is forbidden, and Bludgers are never to be used in the courtyard. The lake, however, is everything goes, and we can possibly have two or three teams practicing at once."

"And the forest?" asked Lloyd Irving, the Gryffindor who had slammed into the goal post and still sported the black eye.

"Off limits, as always," Steffen said, "Any forbidden places before will be forbidden now."

"Well, I think we've covered the most of it. Are there any questions?" Matt asked.

"When will games be?" asked someone.

"They will be announced," said Steffen.

"What about announcers?" another girl questioned.

"Applicants are welcome," said Matt with a smile.

"What if you can't find a team?" came a small voice.

"Well, you have two options. Either you can sign up for an announcer, or you can sign up for the Random Insanity Team. Basically, if you want to play but don't have a team, just give me your name and I'll place you on the roster. First come, first serve, however, and there's still only seven spots."

"Are we allowed to play on both a House and normal team?" asked a Slytherin, looking pointedly at Zacharias.

"Yes, as long as you can juggle it and your homework. Remember, if you start falling behind, you're through. And I will be getting weekly reports," warned Emily, "So don't screw it up for the rest of us."

"Any other questions?" asked Matt.

No one had any, although a few people were whispering amongst themselves. When nothing came up, Matt thanked them and said they could leave. Six people immediately came to Matt to sign up for the Random Insanity Team, two of which were Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. Another was Lillian.

"Lil, you should've said you wanted to be on the team!" said Shailagh, who had been sitting next to her.

"I… I know…" muttered Lillian, looking highly embarrassed, "But… well… you already had it filled up, so I just decided I'd commentate when I could and… and play on the Random Insanity team. Thank you, Matt…"

She smiled and dashed away. A few people came up to him and asked a couple more questions, but Matt got them quickly away. Finally, they retreated to the Library to finish setting up the first matches. Matt would have to get in contact with the Captains, but he figured that wouldn't be a problem.

"But we still need a Captain for the Random Insanity Team," Matt said, "Plus, we still have a space to fill. I'm going to find Rebecca and talk to her tonight, but, meanwhile, I'm going to set-up practice schedules."

"Need some help?" asked Emily.

"Thanks, but I've wasted enough of your day as it is," Matt said with a smile, "You guys go have fun, I have work to do."

"Alright… see you later!" Emily said as she and Steffen went to practice flying a little bit over the lake. Lisa and Jose left to work on an assignment. Shailagh went to do her daily meditation. Matt started immediately for the Common Room, deciding to find Rebecca now and ask.

When he arrived in the Common Room, he saw it to be almost empty. However, he spotted the messy, curly, reddish-brown hair over in the corner. Rebecca sat alone, her head bent over her long Transfiguration essay. Matt smiled to himself; Hermione would be proud.

"Rebecca?" he asked as he approached.

"Huh?" Rebecca jumped and looked up, "Oh, sorry… um… did you need me?"

"Yes, I was wondering… did you want to be on the Random Insanity team?" asked Matt.

"For Quidditch?" she asked.

"Yep," Matt said, "You could be a Chaser, that's still open… and Neville said he would play any position, and since no one gave me any definites, you could—"

"Actually," she cut across him softly, "I… I'd rather be a commentator, if that's alright with you."

"Eh? I thought you wanted to play?" Matt asked.

"Well… I thought about it, and… I don't know, I just figured my place was on the ground," she said, turning slightly red, "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, no, of course not! I need a good commentator. Thanks for suggesting it," Matt said, "Well, I must go and finish organizing, so I'll talk to you later."

"Alright," she said, returning to her essay.

Matt found a clean table and placed the eleven team names across it. He found the three that had walked out and crumpled them up and set them ablaze nonverbally (gleefully realizing he was going to score high on Flitwick's next quiz), and then added his team to the pile, along with the Random Insanity one. This left ten names, plenty for a Quidditch League.

"Who have we got here…" Matt muttered.

He had Random Insanity, and his team with no name. Then there was a team known as the Seniors, the team headed by McLaggen. There was Bridget's team, who had finally decided on a name that morning: Hogwarts Hotties. Then he had an all-Slytherin team: Salazar's Finest, and an all-Hufflepuff team called Helga's Hell-Raisers, something that made Matt laugh every time he read it. Then there was Zacharias' team, Almighty, which comprised of him, the evil Mateo, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and four other guys Matt had never heard of. There was a team of all girls that called themselves Intransigence, and was the only team with members from all four houses. Then a team consisting of much of Matt's House (Blaine, Nathaniel, Jack, Dakota, Melody, Mandy, and Padma), modestly calling themselves the Superior Seven. Finally, Rachel's team (mostly First Years) called Flower Power.

"Well, this is going to be interesting," Matt said, looking down at the list. He didn't expect anymore teams to sign up, despite the two week deadline. Still, he was looking forward to getting things underway, and hoped to start scheduling practices soon. But first, he needed another Random Insanity team member.

"I wonder who would fill in for them…?" muttered Matt, looking around. He left the Common Room and took a stroll around the Library, almost running into Ginny.

"Hey!" she said, "How are you?"

"Oh… fine. Just trying to find one more team member for Random Insanity…" Matt said.

"What's that?" Ginny asked.

"It's a Quidditch Team for the Inter-House League," Matt said, "But it's driving me crazy because I don't know anyone who would play with Luna and Neville and such…"

"Oh… I'll do it," Ginny said, brightly.

"But aren't you on the House team?" Matt asked, "Are you sure you can manage both?"

"Of course," said Ginny with a grin, "We'll just have to schedule practices around all our difficulties."

"Thank you so much. Here's the list of your team members, you can decide on a team name and let me know later," Matt said, "Thanks a ton, you saved the team."  
"No problem," Ginny said, "I'm going to go find them right now. See you later."

So, pleased with his work so far, Matt returned to the Common Room once more and put his final list down. Then he had a problem: his team had no name, nor a captain. So, Matt called all seven team mates together in the Great Hall that evening. They all debated for a few minutes on team names, nixing a couple like Absolute and United Hogwarts Extremists (although Steffen did say he liked how it sounded terroristic). Shailagh suddenly started laughing very hard, and everyone glanced at her.

"The name," she gasped, still laughing, "It's great!"

"What is it?" Matt asked her.

"I can't say, you guys gotta figure it out," she said, getting her laughter under control.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Emily said, happily, "What about Sanchez's Burritos? We could use Sanchez as our mascot!"

"Excellent idea!" Matt said.

"Keep going," Shailagh said.

"Sanchez's Flying Burritos!" Emily exclaimed.

Everyone burst into laughter and Shailagh agreed. Quite a few people around the hall turned to stare at them, but they ignored that. Matt wrote the name down at the top of the list, and he put it on the Master.

"Now we need a captain," Matt said, "Any nominations?"

"Emily," everyone said at once.

"Huh? Why me?" said Emily.

"You played on Gryffindor last year," Shailagh said, "So you have experience."

"Plus, you're perfect captain material," said Jose.

"And I'll be busy with running this whole thing, so you would be the perfect person," Matt said.

"Yes, yes you would," Steffen said, laying his head on her shoulder, "Pleeeeease?"

"Oh, alright," said Emily, "I'll be able to order you around and flog those that don't listen, right?"

"Sure," said Jose.

"I accept," Emily said.

"Good. I'll have to meet with the captains now to discuss when practices will be held," Matt said briskly, taking out another sheet of parchment with times and such on them.

"Right. Let's go," said Emily.

"Okay," said Matt, who then stood on the table, "All captains of the Inter-House Quidditch League, follow me now!"

"Wow… that was spiffy," said Steffen as Matt hopped down and lead the ten captains into the antechamber off the side of the Great Hall.

"Well, everyone, I've got the first game scheduled for a week after the Hogsmeade Trip. The names are to be announced, and the games will be on Saturday, and might move into Sunday if we run out of time. I've already cleared it with all House teams, so we don't have to worry about that. Start your bookings.

The captains (Emily, Ginny, Cormac from the Seniors; Bridget for Hogwarts Hotties; Yancy Carter, a tall, sneaky-looking Seventh Year for Salazar's Finest; Bernard Andrews from Helga's Hell-Raisers; Zacharias from Almighty; Adrianna Reynolds from Intransigence; Mandy Brocklehurst from The Superior Seven; and Isabel Moon from Flower Power) all requested their allotted timeslots.

"What if we can't make a practice?" asked Bernard.

"If your team needs to re-schedule, I'll check with the other captains," Matt said, "And we'll work on a trade."

"What's the latest we can practice?" asked Isabel.

"Depends on your curfews, but I think up to Fourth Years have to be in your Common Rooms by nine and the others by ten," Matt said.

"You said practices during lessons were allowed?" asked Mandy.

"If you have a free period or break, but no skipping," Matt said.

"Can we practice at five in the morning?" asked Adrianna, a Gryffindor Seventh Year.

"… I… guess so," Matt said, "If your team doesn't mind getting up that early."

"They don't," she said, brightly, "We just want to make sure we get our time slots each day."

"… well, I admire your wish to succeed, and yes, it's available," said Matt.

"Thank you," she said.

It took half an hour to get practice times in. There were two arguments, one between Helga's Hell-Raisers and Salazar's Finest, and another between Intransigence and Almighty, but everything else went smoothly.

"Thank you all and good luck," said Matt.

"Even though the Flying Burritos will win," said Emily with a grin.

"Right, keep telling yourself that, Davis," said Cormac.

"Trust me, Cormac, it's over," said Emily.

"Well, that went well," Matt said as the last person, Adrianna, departed.

"Yes, yes it did. Now, shall we go practice?" asked Emily, having already booked part of the lake for seven.

"Yes, let's get everyone else," Matt said as the two left to practice.

**From the Author's Desk:**

**Feel free to review at any time. I love constructive criticism! Many, many more chapters to come.**


	5. Ch 5: Dreams and Nightmares

**From The Author's Mind:**

**Chapter 5 now, and that's just the beginning. It's another short one, I think I was having a rough week and felt very uncreative. Anyway, enjoy. Much more to come!**

Chapter Five: Dreams and Nightmares

Matt never regretted his decision to head this League, but he did have a few moments of stress that almost caused him to lose it. For example, Salazar's Finest kept changing their practice times due to conflicts, and this always seemed to be aimed at Helga's Hell-Raisers. It was clear that they were still angry over the team name.

Then there were the Seniors. Or, to be more specific, Cormac. He also wanted to schedule about double the amount of practices everyone else had, and seemed to be trying to push Flower Power out of their slots. Matt, with Emily and Steffen's help, saw right through this and started threatening to restrict them to a number of practices each week. This shut him up for a while.

Meanwhile, the other teams seemed to be getting along well. Except for Almighty and Intransigence. Matt admired the latter's dedication to the sport, because every day, without fail, the seven girls would be swooping about the lake at five in the morning until seven, when they would walk in, get a bath, and then head to breakfast, each looking more refreshed than the next. And what's more, Jo Hammet, the only Slytherin on the team, seemed to have taken a liking to the other girls, even the two Gryffindors. This may have made her a little strange in Slytherin's house, but she seemed happier than they had ever seen her.

Almighty were also dedicated to their practices, and they were a good team as well. They worked well together, and they all had common interests. The problem with them was their sexist remarks about Intransigence were starting to reach the girls' ears. This didn't bother Adrianna, but the other girls, especially Jo, were starting to get very fed up with their rants. Indeed, one nasty incident after dinner resulted in Beater William Kaylo being taken to the Hospital Wing, his toenails growing out of control. Professors McGonagall and Sprout had expressed their concerns about this, and Matt tried to explain the situation. Both teachers vowed to talk with their students, and would urge Sinistra and Snape to do the same.

The only teams, besides the one he was on, that gave Matt no trouble were Random Insanity, a name the team had decided to keep in thanks to Matt's helping them get where they were, and The Superior Seven. Flower Power never willingly gave him trouble, but on two occasions, Matt had to chase the Seniors off the field because they had taken Flower Power's practice times (although many said they hadn't had an idea). Matt then got an idea of his own.

"Emily, put a Protean Charm on these four parchments, please," Matt said to Emily on the Thursday night before Hogsmeade, just one week before the first games. He was going to make sure all the teams knew when their practices were by putting schedules that would be up to date every time Matt changed them.

"Good idea," said Steffen after Matt explained the idea, "I'm going to kill Cormac if he steps on another person's practice, especially our own."

"It's been a nightmare trying to get this right," Matt said, rubbing his forehead, "But I'm sure this will stop the arguments."

He was right. Even Cormac had to agree, this was the best way. And anytime a change was needed, a message would appear, asking the captains to swap (although Helga's Hell-Raisers swapped with Intransigence only once, saying the five A.M. thing didn't work quite as well for them). When the first Hogsmeade Weekend came, Matt announced the first match-ups for the first games.

"Here's the list of all the teams," Matt said, writing them on a piece of parchment, "I'm going to put a Shuffling Charm on them and make it so it matches the teams up. Any questions?"

Nearly everyone in the league looked back at him from the front of the Great Hall. Matt wrote the names carefully on a large piece of parchment, and set it to shuffling.

"First match up!" he said loudly, touching the parchment with his wand, "Hogwarts Hotties… versus… Almighty."

Smug looks radiated from the mostly-Hufflepuff team as they sneered at Bridget and company. They returned the looks of disdain and immediately left to start planning (and because it was their turn to use the Pitch for practice).

"Next up…" Matt said, tapping the paper, "Helga's Hell-Raisers… versus… The Superior Seven."

The other two teams looked at each other a moment before huddling up and to discuss their opponents. They left a moment later, each heading for the lake for their respective practices.

"Third match-up," Matt said, tapping the parchment once again, "Sanchez's Flying Burritos… versus… Intransigence."

Matt's team all nodded. Intransigence gave them a friendly smile before they left to discuss tactics. Flower Power, Seniors, Salazar's Finest, and Random Insanity stood, waiting.

"Fourth match-up," said Matt, tapping the parchment, "Seniors… versus… Random Insanity."

The Seniors gave their foes superior looks and swaggered away to begin practice. Ginny had met their glares and lead her team into a different room to start their own planning.

"And that means the fifth match-up will put Salazar's Finest against Flower Power," Matt said.

The Slytherins glared down at the First Years, all of whom withdrew slightly except for Isabel and Rachel. They weren't going to be intimidated.

"Good luck, everyone," Matt said, "It's going to be a fun weekend."

"I think that went over well. What do you guys think will happen?" Matt asked.

"Without tapping into the future," Shailagh said, I see a good game between us and Intransigence."

"Flower Power is going to get slaughtered," said Steffen maliciously, "It's going to be great!"

"I don't know, speed might make up for the idiocy of the Slytherins," said Emily, "But I rather hope Hogwarts Hotties and Almighty somehow get each other killed during the match."

"I think Helga's Hell-Raisers are screwed," said Jose, "I've been watching a few Superior Seven practices. Mandy's an excellent captain, and a brilliant tactician. She takes it very seriously."

"I'm seeing an upset here…" said Mateo, "I think Random Insanity will beat the Seniors."

"I hope so," said Lisa furiously, "I hate Cormac McLaggen. And most of the guys on the team."

"Yes, Daren and David also need to be kicked in the teeth," Emily said, "But we'll have our chance to defeat them, I'm sure."

"How many games in a season?" asked Steffen.

"I had originally planned for a game every two weeks or so, but I've decided to do one in October, November, January, February, March, and April," Matt said, "And then semi-finals and finals in May. We want to get this over and done with before serious O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. study begins."

"This is going to be fun," said Emily, "I can't wait."

"Me neither. But first, we have homework," said Shailagh, "And I've put up a mental block, so I will never be able to see the winners of these games."

"Right… well, time for Charms homework!" Steffen said in a sarcastic-happy voice.

The Saturday of Hogsmeade was, in terms of weather, miserable and unforgiving. The already cold temperature was driven a few dozen degrees further down with the wind chill. The icing on the cake, so-to-speak, was the sleet, which pelted everyone like ice cubes as they made their way down the steep incline of Hogwarts' grounds towards the town. Lisa had decided not to join them today, fearing Professor Sprout's wrath if she didn't finish the book, and none of the Martines had any money. Shailagh was once again in the Hospital Wing with a bad headache, and Lillian had, like Lisa, used homework as her excuse not to join them.

So, Matt, Emily, and Steffen left on their own amongst the rather reduced number of students against the gale as they struggled towards Hogsmeade. The only plus to this wind was the mist that had surrounded the castle, and most of England, was gone, but it was sleeting so hard by nine that it was hard to see anyway.

"So what's in this town anyway?" called Steffen as they reached the gates.

"There's Zonko's Joke Shop," called Emily, "That's always fun to visit."

"And then there's Honeydukes, the best shop around for sweets!" shouted Matt.

"And the Three Broomsticks, Hog's Head, and Madam Puddifoot's are the drink shop places… though the last two are pretty wretched," said Emily.

"You either have diseased glasses or public sex shows," Matt added.

"… Let's skip them, then," said Steffen.

The other two nodded in agreement as they forced their way into Hogsmeade. However, a dismal sight met their eyes the moment they turned the first corner: Zonko's was boarded up. Matt and Emily both looked as though Christmas had been cancelled, since both were dying to get some new tricks.

"What the hell…" muttered Emily angrily, "This is so freakin…"

"I know," muttered Matt, "But there's nothing we can… hey, what's this?"

He moved towards a billboard where a large poster was barely clinging to the wooden frame. It was an advertisement for a shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes… with plenty of fun things to buy.

"Let's take one," said Emily, "We'll read it when we can hear ourselves think."

"And not get pelted with chunks of ice," added Steffen, who was clearly sick of the weather.

"Three Broomsticks first," Matt said.

The three headed for the bar, and found it packed. They took a table as close to the heater as possible and spread out the paper in front of them, reading the information on each of the items.

"Look at this," said Steffen, "Re-useable Hangman… Spell it right or he'll swing."

"And look at all these quills! Spell-checking, Self-Inking, Smart-Answer, and Quick-Quotes," Emily said.

"And patent Daydream Charms! I could seriously use a couple of those…" muttered Matt.

"And look… trick wands of all types and sizes! This is amazing, it is! Decoy Detonators, Instant Dark Powder from Peru, and Shield Hats, Gloves, and new rings," said Emily, "Fred and George are brilliant!"

"Yes, they are. Pity you never met them, Steffen," said Matt.

"I need me some of these," said Steffen, pointing to the Skiving Snackboxes.

"Oh my god…" Matt said, laughing so hard tears fell from his eyes, "Remember using those on Umbridge!"

"Yes!" Emily cried, laughing almost as hard, "It was so great, seeing people just drop in her class and have to be dragged out. It was worth the detention."

"U-No-Poo," said Steffen, "That's excellent."

"I want some Daydream Charms," whined Matt.

"Look at this stuff… it's all great!" exclaimed Emily, "We've gotta order a bunch of stuff from them."

"Yeah, but first we've gotta go to Honeydukes," Matt said, and the three left. Once they made it to Honeydukes, they stocked up on Every-Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills, Fizzing Whizbees, and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. It was enough to last a few months. However, it was getting worse and the weather was preventing them from seeing Hogwarts anymore, so the Americans decided to go back to Hogwarts a bit early.

"Let me see," said Emily as they sat in the Owlery with their pet flying animals sitting on their shoulders, "What are we going to order?"

"I've got six of the Daydream Charms, a Self-Inking Quill, and a Quick-Quotes quill," Matt said.

"I'm getting me some Skiving Snackboxes," said Steffen, writing down the choices he wanted, "They said Nosebleed Nougat was going fast."

"I'm getting a Pygmy Puff," said Emily with a gleeful look on her face, "A red one. And I will name him Floof."

"Anything else?" Matt asked, glancing back down the list.

"Nothing that I can see," said Emily, "Shall we send them off?"

"Let's," said Steffen, attaching his letter to Fury, who immediately took off, screeching.

"Be careful," Matt said to Cyclone. The hummingbird seemed to salute him and then flew off, crashing into the wall and then managing to get out the window.

"Keep on eye on him, okay, Red?" asked Emily, looking concerned for Cyclone. Red Wing nodded and clicked his beak, and soared out after the other two.

"Oh no!" gasped Matt, "I just remember, Trelawney's homework is due on Thursday!"

"And?" said Steffen.

"If I don't turn it in, I can't play on Saturday," said Matt miserably, "And there's no way I'll get 50 people to listen to me after the others have been through it…"

"Well… make it up," said Emily.

"No, I know what I'll do," Matt said, a thought bursting into his brain, "I'll write a letter back to America and get a bunch of people to give me their names, birth dates, and all that other stuff I need."

"Will it come back in time?" asked Steffen.

"It has to," Matt said desperately, writing a quick letter, copying it to three papers, and sending three owls out, "Or I'm screwed."

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Keep reading, this is not a good chapter to review ;; I ask you read one more before you review, okay?**


	6. Ch 6: Goldfish Gryphons & Flying Buritos

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Okay! I know that last chapter was a little slow and boring, but this one is much more exciting. And long. Very long. Enjoy it! Oh, there's a Tales of Symphonia reference in here now, so this is your time to shine, Namco!**

Chapter Six: Gryphons, Goldfish, and Flying Burritos

The week before the first Inter-House game was wrought with stress and challenges for all. First, word had reached the school that Katie Bell, Chaser for Gryffindor, had been taken to St. Mungo's due to her being cursed something dreadful. Almost the entire Senior team was friends with her, and they had a period of mourning, where they traded practices with Hegla's Hell-Raisers and Random Insanity (although it was obvious Cormac thought two days was more than enough time to brood).

Monday's classes were tough, Snape having given them another list of nearly sixty spells and counter-spells that needed to be memorized and done non-verbally by the end of November, while Hagrid informed the class the eggs would probably hatch within two weeks. In Potions, Professor Slughorn also announced a difficult examination, and that they were going to be starting Antidotes to Uncommon Poisons soon.

Tuesday's classes, however, were brutal. In Herbology, Steffen and Emily received a detention because they had not read any of the books Sprout assigned, and both received minor cuts from the Snargaluff stump they were to get the sprouts from. In Matt's Divination class, Trelawney reminded them of the impending homework, and Matt felt his stomach twist because he'd only deciphered eight names so far. However, there had been a nice surprise at breakfast that morning: fifty-seven people from America had sent in their names and birth dates and hobbies to be decoded.

History of Magic was only terrible because Matt had not gotten much sleep the previous night, having forced himself to do nearly half of Snape's list. He took only half a parchment of notes before he was unable to stay awake any longer, wishing he had a Quick Quotes Quill and the Daydream Charms. In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall loomed over all of them as they started to practice their Conjuring of simple animals. Matt and Hermione were the only two that managed to get a full snail by the end of class, although Emily and Steffen had gotten part of the shell. Charms saw them working on the Wind part of their elemental lessons, which was difficult in the fact that you couldn't see the results and might be doing something wrong. Emily, however, managed to do everything almost perfectly, and Steffen was nearly as good, although Matt seemed to have trouble controlling it, which resulted in him sending Professor Flitwick soaring out the window, and receiving a huge amount of homework in return.

On Wednesday, Potions was spent with Slughorn giving a written pop-quiz in preparation for the exam and antidote lesson. He spent the rest of the period grading while the class read the next section: Uncommon and Elusive Poisons and How to Handle Them. When they got their grades back, Emily and Steffen were both pleased to see E's on their paper.

In Transfiguration, they received a remedial course in conjuring, and moved on to making flying insects appear. The Americans all had small embarrassing moments, however. Emily caused half of Seamus Finnigan's robes to catch fire when he produced a spider right next to her, and Matt perfected the Whirlwind Spell when Parvati Patil produced a whole swarm of bees (which spun uncontrollably towards him, causing him to panic and flee head-first into a wall). Steffen, however, had a near-seizure when he conjured up a gigantic silverfish, which seemed to develop a taste for human flesh and immediately lunged at him. He fell over backwards and toppled Shailagh's desk, sending all her books flying. Professor McGonagall let them leave early, and everyone was still laughing at the Americans' reactions to the insects.

"Can't say that was a fun class," grimaced Matt as Draco Malfoy did his impersonation of running into a wall.

"No… it wasn't," said Emily, still furious with herself. Steffen didn't say anything at all.

"Well, hello, Matt, Emily, Steffen," came a booming voice behind them.

The three turned and were shocked to see Professor Slughorn standing in front of them. He was smiling benignly at them, holding three, small scrolls in his right hand. The three cut their eyes to each other momentarily. Surely this must be a mistake?

"I've noticed how you three have your little Quidditch League, and, let me just say, I think it's great that you're giving other students a chance to play the great game of wizards," said Professor Slughorn proudly, reminding the Americans of one of the jocks in their school talking about football or baseball.

"Er… thanks," said Matt, "We just didn't think it was fair for only seven out of nearly two-hundred people to play."

"Well, I'm very impressed. I'd like to offer you an invitation to the next of my little dinner parties… you know, the Slug Club," said Professor Slughorn, handing them each a scroll, "Would you be interested?"

"Sure," said Matt, "As long as we don't have any other engagements and our homework isn't too bad."

"Well, in that case, I'll see you all Monday night," said Professor Slughorn happily, walking away and parting the crowd. Behind him, Matt saw Draco Malfoy standing with his mouth wide-open and staring after the gigantic Potions teacher.

"… that was highly unexpected," said Emily.

"Yes, and now we're going to be going to one of these… crazy parties for Slughorn…" said Steffen.

"And be in the Slug Club," said Emily with a chuckle.

"Yeah… that is rather interesting," Matt muttered, "I just hope I can find time, I've got so much homework to do…"

"You shouldn't have taken Divination," said Emily, waving her finger at him, "Bad idea."

"Right," Matt said, walking off to the next class, which, ironically, was Divination.

That night, he stayed up until three in the morning trying to finish the names. When he did fall asleep, he awoke to Cyclone, collapsed next to him, a huge package tied to him. It was the items from Weasley's Wizard Wheezies, and Matt tore it open with gusto.

Emily also received her package when she woke up, Floof having rubbed up against her face. Red Wing sat patiently at the foot of her bed, glaring at the Pygmy Puff.

"Oh, calm down, Red, you're still my favorite bird," said Emily sleepily, getting her other items. Red Wing snapped his beak once, rubbed against her arm, and took off out the window, being sure to knock over Bridget's pitcher, causing it to shatter and splatter not only her but Prudence as well. Both girls squealed and jumped out of bed, soaked to the skin.

Steffen awoke to Blaine and Nate dueling in a corner. Fury, hiding in the rafter, plummeted to Steffen's bed, screeching in anger. The others stopped their duel momentarily and watched as Steffen took his items from the package. Fury screeched again, and soared out the window, clipping everyone with his wing. Steffen cackled as he prepared to get him and Emily out of class.

They left Defense Against the Dark Arts, both within five minutes, looking pale and sweaty. From there, they went and played Hangman for nearly an hour and then did a few pieces of homework, very grudgingly. Snape tracked them down as they were emerging from the Library, and his eyes swept over them for a minute before he announced they had a five-hundred word essay due by next class. Professor Slughorn immediately excused them from Potions once the two started sprouting blood from their nostrils, and Emily began to swoon. This time, they hid out on the third floor and practiced dueling silently, with very comical results. Floof, who was always with Emily, pranced and rolled around the floor for their amusement.

Matt, still exhausted, turned in his assignment for Divination, and was pleased to see no one else missed their assignments either. This would have been a problem because everyone in the class was on a Quidditch Team, and Matt didn't want to have to tell people they couldn't play because they had been too lazy to do a Divination assignment. History of Magic was easily bearable because of Matt's new Quick-Quotes Quill and his Daydream Charm. When he entered the Daydream, he was inside Tales of Symphonia, one of his favorite video games ever, running around and fighting everything that moved. When it was almost up and he knew it, he "saved" his game and rolled up his parchment as the bell rang. The quill had served him well, taking nearly three parchments-worth of notes in the forty-five minute class.

In Astronomy, Matt fell asleep. Emily and Steffen took turns poking him in the sides to wake him up, but it didn't work. Professor Sinistra never seemed to notice, and, at one, Matt woke up with a start and screamed something about how the Penguists had stolen his quills. Everyone laughed again, and Matt blushed slightly as they headed down to their Common Rooms for sleep.

They slept in so late the next day that they were almost late for Transfiguration, which was mercifully less embarrassing than the previous class. In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid gleefully showed them how the first cracks in the eggs had appeared, announcing the births to be happening within the next week. And Professor Sinistra announced at dinner that she was canceling all Astronomy Lessons that night for the Inter-House Quidditch games the next day. A large round of applause followed this, but Matt suddenly realized he'd been so busy he wasn't properly nervous for the game. Emily and Steffen weren't, but they still decided to go to bed early, just to be on the safe side.

The day of the game dawned bright and sunny, no wind and, strangely enough, a reduction in the mist. Matt woke at six, and was eating breakfast at seven. The first game was due to start at ten, but Matt still wanted to be ready way before hand. The other members of the teams were among the first to be at lunch, and Steffen and Emily joined Matt at eight. They, too, seemed a little anxious, but they were not nearly as bad as Matt, who was shaking a little.

However, when they got outside at nine, that all changed. The bright sun, which changed Matt's glasses to sunglasses, warmed them and calmed them all down. So, with wide grins and singing DDR songs (well… Matt was anyway), the three made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch.

The Pitch was bright and cloudless. Matt sat in the announcer's booth with Rebecca Gibbons on his left and Luna Lovegood on the right. He could see the stands were only about a third as full as they were with normal house games, and he had expected this. He could just make out Emily and Steffen sitting with the rest of the Flying Burritos, all of whom were waiting for the first game to start with apparent interest.

"Okay, guys, are you ready?" Matt asked the two girls. Luna nodded vaguely, smiling at a cloud shaped like a llama. Rebecca looked a little nervous and pale, but also nodded.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Matt called into the megaphone, "Welcome to the first of the Inter-House Quidditch Games! It's a beautiful day and we have ten teams ready to play for your viewing pleasure. Joining me are Rebecca Gibbons, our commentator, and Luna Lovegood, who will be providing the color commentary. Over to you, Rebecca."

"Thanks, Matt," said Rebecca, her voice shaking slightly, "Today is a fine day for Quidditch, and we're looking forward to seeing all the teams compete. Luna, have anything to add?"

"That cloud is shaped like a llama…" she said, pointing to the sky, "See his head? Isn't he cute?"

"Thank you, Luna," said Matt with a chuckle, "Our first match will be the Hogwarts Hotties versus Almighty. I ask that you all give a big round of applause for our players. On the Hottie's side: Bridget, Romilda, Gertrude, Prudence, Brittany, Lavender, and Parvati!"

The girls flew out one-by-one as their names were called. Their uniforms sparkled in the sunlight, and apparently tried to expose as much skin as humanly possible. They all had their own styles of shirts and skirts, however, and their robes were a seductive shade of pink. Emily gagged from the stands, but many of the boys whistled and cat-called.

"Taking on the scantly-clad Hotties," Matt said, "Are the team Almighty! Zacharias, Mateo, William, Justin, Moe, Dustin, and James!"

The other boys flew out as well. Matt was a little shocked at their appearance: togas with the green crowns in their hair. Their robes, however, had a picture of what appeared to be Zeus and the other gods with Almighty across the top in bold, red letters. A lightning bolt through the g completed the logo.

"Our presiding referee, as always, is Madam Hooch, and she has now stepped on to the field to begin the game. I turn it over to our commentators, Rebecca and Luna!"

Matt left the box and headed down to his team. By the time he arrived, the captains had shaken hands and Madam Hooch had mounted her broom. The teams soared into the sky, and waited for the Quaffle.

"And Madam Hooch releases the Quaffle!" came Rebecca's voice over the speakers, "Which is promptly taken by Zacharias Smith! He's going for the goals, unchallenged by any of the Hotties… oh, here comes Lavender… and she misses… and Zacharias keeps flying up the Pitch, covered by the others. He's going in for the shot… Keeper Gertrude has to stop this… and… he makes it!"

The stands below erupted in cheers. Zacharias began to do a lap of victory, but he slammed into Parvati, who nearly fell off her broom. Madam Hooch called a foul, which Parvati took, putting the girls on the board. Then, a Bludger soared out of nowhere, heading straight for Bridget. She didn't notice it and was struck in the back of the head, nearly knocking her off her broom. She screeched and headed for the stands to examine her head, out of commission for a while.

"Dear me, that looked painful…" said Luna serenely, "I do hope it knocked some sense into her, though that seems a painful way to do so…"

Matt could see the angry looks from the girls' faces as the game continued. Justin took the Quaffle and began his approach up the Pitch. Lavender tried to steal the Quaffle but was knocked out of the way. He went up to Gertrude, who was ready this time… but still missed the Quaffle. She passed to Parvati, and she rushed to score. A bludger, hit by Dustin Backshaw, went straight for her. She was unable to avoid it, and was struck in the arm, dropping the Quaffle. It was taken by Lavender, however, and she continued towards the goals.

"Go Lavender!" came quite a few screams from the crowd, more guys whistling.

"And here goes Miss Brown," said Rebecca, "She's weaving around the other players, soaring over the stands, and dashing through the Beaters. She's going… And there's Smith! He misses taking the Quaffle. Lavender continues and she's in range! Keeper Moe Morrison is going to have to try and block it… and… he saved it."

A few people cheered and more groaned as Lavender flew off, her face furious. Bridget had re-joined the game, and she was out for blood. She headed straight for Zacharias, who had to roll-over and cling to his broom. Bridget screamed something at him, and zoomed after the Quaffle, now in the evil Mateo's possession.

"Here goes Mateo Martine, the not so nice one," said Luna from the intercom, "He called me Loony in Transfiguration yesterday… well… I do hope Bridget can steal the Quaffle from him, she looks rather furious…"

Mateo glanced around and his face paled. Bridget, with a look of fury none had ever seen, screeched as she stole the Quaffle from him. He nearly fell off his broom, and Bridget turned and flew towards the goal posts, her head pounding. She didn't let that stop her from scoring, resulting in cheers from the growing crowd below.

"And with the adrenaline and fury flowing, Bridget O'Riley puts it away!" screamed Rebecca, "Bringing the score up to 20 each!"

"And what are Romilda and James doing…?" Luna asked, "Are they doing a mid-air ballet? How strange!"

"No, Luna, they've seen the Snitch!" shouted Rebecca, jumping to her feet, "They're diving and weaving after that little ball, and it's almost impossible to see!"

"No, I can see it," Emily said. It was darting in every direction, doing its damndest to avoid the hands clawing for it. Romilda soared ahead slightly, but then it turned in James' favor. The two went down, almost brushing the grass. They were neck-and-neck, just inches from the Snitch… and then James pulled ahead by a fraction of an inch.

"YES!" he shouted, clutching the tiny, golden ball. The game was over, and Almighty had won.

"Game!" Rebecca shouted on Madam Hooch's whistle, "Final score, one seventy to Almighty and twenty to Hogwart's Hotties! An excellent opener for the series."

The Hotties all burst into tears and left the pitch while Almighty roared and cheered. Much of the audience, at least the boys, were dismayed to see their favorite girls lose, so they booed. Almighty left quickly, flying to the changing rooms.

"Our next game will begin in ten minutes," said Rebecca, "And it will be Helga's Hell-Raisers versus The Superior Seven! It's only eleven o'clock, plenty of time left for some excellent Quidditch action. Don't go away!"

"She's pretty good," commented Shailagh as the group descended the stairs to the changing rooms. They would be up after the next game, and they weren't taking any changes on being late, seeing as time would be stretched pretty thin.

"Yes, I'm glad I found her," Matt said, "I'm glad Rachel told me about her, actually."

"Good luck, guys!" Lisa called to the Superior Seven, who were approaching the entrance. They waved and headed out while Matt and the other quickly changed and rushed out to watch the next game.

"And now the next game gets ready to play," said Luna serenely from the commentator's stand, "The Superior Seven, all Ravenclaws, are going to play Helga's Hell-Raisers, the name's format seemingly to be borrowed from that one Slytherin group… what was their name…"

"Salazar's Finest, who will play later today or tomorrow, if we run out of time," said Rebecca's voice, "And Seven's Mandy Brocklehurst shakes hands with Bernard Andrews in preparation for the next game."

The teams mounted their brooms and soared into the starting positions. Madam Hooch stood at the center, holding the Quaffle in her hands. The Bludgers were released, and the Snitch disappeared. Finally, she tossed the Quaffle into the air.

"And the game begins!" came Rebecca's cry, "The Quaffle is immediately taken by Daphne Greengrass, who soars towards the goal… and a Bludger has decided to stalk her, but she dodges with ease. She's going… and avoids a Bludger hit by Jack Hacker… and here she goes for the shot! And… Captain Mandy Brocklehurst makes a spectacular save!" came Rebecca's commentary.

"Go Mandy!" Lisa called. Mandy threw the Quaffle to Nate who took off with it, soaring up the Pitch with surprising speed. He was stopped, however, by the Keeper on Helga's Hell-Raisers, a Fourth-Year by the name of Angela Wakerton. The game continued in this fashion for nearly half an hour, with both Mandy and Angela pulling off some very spectacular saves. At eleven forty-five, half an hour into the game, the score was still ten-ten, and there was no sign of the Snitch.

"And now Susan Bones has the pretty, red Quaffle," said Luna over the inter-com, "Just like her hair. Well… speaking of her hair, it looks like it's gotten in her face because she's flying right towards the wall… Oh, maybe that's because Dakota just slammed into her. Whichever."

A penalty shot was awarded to Helga's Hell-Raisers due to Dakota's attempt to knock Susan off course, and Susan got it. Then, play resumed to it's alarmingly high pace with the Quaffle changing possession so often Rebecca had a hard time keeping up, and, occasionally, got a few people confused.

"And now it's Daphne… no, sorry, Susan…"

"No, I think that is Susan," said Luna, happily, "Oh, and look, I think Professor Vector has come to watch. Hello, Professor!"

"Anyway, a Hell-Raiser's Chaser takes the Quaffle… wait, now Blaine has it… no, wait, I'm sorry… that's Nate…"

"And isn't that Professor Snape?" Luna asked, "Oh, no, that's just a greasy-haired Slytherin. Good impression of him, though… oh… maybe it's a girl…"

"Luna, who has the Quaffle?" came Rebecca's desperate plea.

"Hmm? Where is it?"

"… good question," said Rebecca.

The Quaffle seemed to have vanished. But that was because Blaine had over-passed and sent it flying into the stands. It was returned and the game continued. Another half hour passed, and the score increased to fifty to thirty, in favor of the Superior Seven.

"Foul!" said Rebecca as Madam Hooch's whistle blew again, "On the Hell-Raisers, side, hitting a bludger at the Keeper when not in scoring zone…"

"I do hope Mandy is okay," said Luna, her voice slightly concerned, "A bludger to the stomach must be painful."

But Mandy was okay, and Blaine took the penalty shot, but missed. Play resumed with Daphne taking the Quaffle and soaring down the Pitch. First Blaine attempted to steal it, but missed, then Jack hit a Bludger at her, and that missed. She went up for the shot, and Mandy easily saved it.

"Another spectacular save by Mandy Brocklehurst, everyone!" shouted Rebecca.

Padma took the Quaffle this time, but it was stolen by Susan right at the last second. She tried to take it back, and missed. Just when Padma was about to score, she passed to Sally-Anne, who shot and had it blocked once more by Mandy.

The Quaffle went back to changing possession rapidly, and everyone was so obsessed with watching the small red ball fly around that it was only when Luna spoke again did they notice what other incident was going on.

"And look at that! Seekers Melody Moon and Jacob Shores are frantically trying to get to that little gold thing… is that the Snitch?"

"I do believe it is, Luna!" came the excited cry of Rebecca, "We should be seeing the end of this game any second now…"

But no, that wasn't the case. The other Beater on the Hell-Raisers' side, Horace Putney, had decided at the last minute to swerve in front of Melody, causing her to smash into him and bring jeers from the crowd.

"And now Padma Patil will take the foul shot…" called Rebecca, "And… She makes it!"

The crowd cheered and clapped as Melody furiously soared high above the Pitch to search for the Snitch. Helga's Hell-Raisers scored again, and then Melody dove as Jacob rocketed upward. The Snitch was caught between them, and it made a break-neck evasive move that nearly unseated both Seekers as they whipped around to catch it. Melody, however, was better seated and so that allowed her better control. She dove straight for the Snitch; it was barely inches from her hands as Jacob struggled to catch up. He didn't come close.

"Game!" shouted Rebecca as the stadium erupted with cheers, whistles, and cat-calls for Melody, "And Melody Moon of the Superior Seven gets the Snitch. Game over! Final score: Two hundred and ten to forty!"

The Hell-Raisers left the field looking dejected, while the Superior Seven hoisted Melody up on their shoulders and carried her off the field, to the wild applause of everyone.

"Well, we saw that coming," said Jose, who had been leaning against the wall. Their time was at hand, and in ten minutes, they would be playing.

"It's now almost twelve-thirty, and we're not even half way through the teams," said Rebecca, "And now our next game will get underway, for-going the ten minute break. Give a round of applause for… Sanchez's Flying Burritos and Intransigence!"

"First of all, on the Burritos' side," said Luna, "We have Captain and Seeker Emily Davis, a rather funny and crazy girl, and her boyfriend, Steffen Jett as Beater. He can be fearsome when angry. Then there's Matt, the guy who likes that funny dancing game so much… I forget what it's called. Oh, and there's Shailagh Hacker, she probably already knows how this is going to end… and then we have Lisa Turpin, another kind girl, and the good Martine siblings Jose and Mateo."

The team flew out as Luna read their names off, each chuckling at their own descriptions. Rebecca introduced Intransigence next.

"Adrianna Reynolds, Tabitha Porter, Quinn Raphael, Manuela Jackson, Jo Hammet, Henrietta Sanders, and Isis Lance!"

All the girls flew out as their names were called. Their robes were a simple blue with a sparkle across it and the name Intransigence. The Burritos' robes seemed dark in comparison, and the small goldfish swimming around them only added to the joke.

"Davis, Reynolds, shake hands," said Madam Hooch. The two girls grasped momentarily, and then sailed off. Matt trembled slightly, hand twitching as he floated fifteen feet off the ground. The opposing Chasers (Adrianna, Tabitha, and Quinn) all closed their eyes momentarily and focused. Steffen watched from his position near the center, bat at the ready. He picked out the Bludger he would hit first. Emily, from about ten feet above, glanced around for the Snitch.

"I want a nice, clean game from all of you," shouted Madam Hooch from the ground, "Begin!"

She tossed the Quaffle into the air. Lisa was the first to reach it, and she shot ahead, with Matt and Jose flanking her. Adrianna tried to steal it from her, but only succeeded in grabbing air as Lisa braked and dove. She flew to the goals, and went up for the shot.

"And Lisa Turpin is going against Intransigence's Keeper, Manuela Jackson. And… she saves it!"

"Damn!" swore Lisa as she changed directions and flew back towards the center of the Pitch. Quinn took the Quaffle, and the three Chasers pursued. Jose went up for a steal, but missed, almost colliding with Lisa. Quinn made it to Mateo's goal posts, their Keeper being a nervous wreck.

"Mateo Martine, the good one, is now going to attempt to block the Quaffle," said Luna in a serene voice, "And he does, although that seems like a more difficult and painful way to do it."

Steffen glanced around. Mateo's glasses were shattered and his nose was bleeding. Apparently, he had stopped it with his face. With a snicker, he hit a bludger towards Quinn, who was forced to roll over to avoid the Bludger. Mateo passed to Matt, who took off as fast as his broom would let him towards Intransigence's goal posts.

"And Matt has the Quaffle now!" said Luna, "He's from America, you know. Such a nice boy… but his accent is a little funny. Kind of… how should I put it… American?"

"Yes, that would fit," said Rebecca in an undertone, "Er… I mean… Matt advances within range, and he shoots the Quaffle… and he scores!"

"Yes!" Matt said, as Jose hit him on the back as he soared by. Matt grinned and took off after Adrianna, who now had the Quaffle. She shot from a long way, and Mateo misjudged the distance and fumbled, and the Quaffle sailed through the right hoop.

"No!" Emily snarled from up high. The other Seeker, a Second Year, was glancing around so quickly Emily suspected she was having a slight seizure. She dove about twenty feet and leveled out, still looking.

Steffen finally caught up to a Bludger again and hit it squarely at one of the opposing Beaters, Henrietta from Hufflepuff. She wasn't looking, and it took her squarely in the back, sending her nearly flying off her broom. She slammed hard down on the Pitch, and most of her teammates froze to see if she was okay. She gave them thumbs up and sat on the ground, dazed.

"You'll pay for that," said Jo, nearly ramming into Steffen. He moved out of the way, and she shot off, looking for a Bludger.

Through all the confusion, the Chasers really got into their strides. When one rolled around, the score was sixty to forty, in favor of Intransigence. The girls were truly showing how dedicated they were, and they showed no signs of slowing down. Twice Emily had glanced the Snitch, but Jo had sent a bludger the first time, and the Snitch had flown right into the sun the second time, so both her and Isis had lost sight of it.

Steffen and Shailagh were going all-out on the Bludgers, pelting them at anyone they could. They hit Adrianna once, nearly knocked Isis' glasses off, and had forced Quinn to drop the Quaffle six times. But they hadn't knocked anyone out of the game yet.

"And the game is proving to be the longest one yet, and the most action-packed!" Rebecca's voice rang out across the Pitch for the now-large crowd to hear, "And now Adrianna has taken the Quaffle once more, and is going… well, not now. A bludger from Steffen Jett hit her in the arm again and she dropped the Quaffle, which is immediately taken by Jose. He passes to Lisa, who goes up for the shot… she made it! A good effort by the Keeper, but the Burritos have brought the score to sixty-fifty. It's anyone's game."

"Look at that one!" Luna said, happily, "That cloud there, it looks like a Glipphery… it's so pretty…"

"Luna, who has the Quaffle? I can't see where it went again," Rebecca said.

"Hmm… one of the Gryffindors on Intransigence. Annabella, was it?" Luna said.

"Adrianna," corrected Rebecca, "And… wow, Mateo Martine pulls off a spectacular save! Good job, Mateo. And now he passes back to Matt Warren, who flies ahead of the pack… no contest, the shot flies straight past the Keeper and the score is tied!"

"Nice shot!" called Steffen, pursuing a Bludger that was aiming for Emily.

"Thanks," Matt called back, but then had to avoid his own Bludger, hit by the newly-returned Henrietta, which nearly unseated him. The Quaffle was taken by Quinn, and she seemed determined to score her first goal. Lisa denied her that right, and stole the Quaffle. But Jo hit her on the side of the head with a bludger, sending the Quaffle flying. Lisa, hand clenched to the side of her head, soared down to the ground. Jose was next to her first, and then Matt. When he approached, however, Jose told him to go back and finish what they'd started. He would have to work alone while Jose took her to the hospital.

So, with only one Chaser left, the game doubled in difficulty for the Burritos. Matt went all-out, and stole the Quaffle from Adrianna, scoring ten points for his team. Steffen, meanwhile, found himself half-way off his broom after Jo had flown into him. Madam Hooch called a penalty, which was barely saved when Matt threw it.

"Where's the Snitch? We haven't seen anything of it, are the Seekers even awake?" came a rude voice from the commentator's podium. Matt, Emily, and Steffen froze and glared at it. Zacharias Smith had taken control of the microphone, although Rebecca was putting up a heck of a fight to get it back. Luna was staring at him as though he was a slightly revolting, yet still interesting, slug.

"Get the hell out of there, Smith!" shouted Matt, "As leader of the Inter-House Quidditch League, I order you to leave the stadium!"

"You can't legally do that, you know," said Madam Hooch, who had flown between Matt and the podium.

"But I can revoke his commentating privileges, right?" Matt asked.

"I suppose,"

"And while the only Chaser argues with the ref, the mediocre Beater, Shailagh Hacker, hits a bludger that forces Tabitha to drop the Quaffle. Boy, can this get anymore pathetic?" asked Zacharias.

"You're privileges are revoked!" Matt roared, barely five feet from the podium, "Give the microphone back to Rebecca or I'll hex you!"

"Fine, have it your way," sneered Smith.

"Damn right he will," said Steffen, who had flown up next to him, "Now get the fuck out of there!"

"Right," he said, thrusting the microphone back into Rebecca's hands. She tripped him as he left and he rolled down the steps, coming to a halt at the feet of the rest of his team. Those around roared with laughter and Matt and Steffen returned to the game, which was coming to an end.

Matt obtained the Quaffle Tabitha had dropped, and flew towards the hoops, but was forced to retreat after Henrietta hit a Bludger at him. Steffen retaliated with his own Bludger, which struck Henrietta and sent her spinning.

Then, Emily saw it: the Snitch was flying near Chaser Adrianna's ankle. She shot towards it. Isis seemed to have noticed it as well, and, one hand trying to keep her glasses on, dove after it. Both girls soared nearly into each other, and the Snitch panicked and flew away. As Emily dove for the Snitch, Isis was forced to retreat momentarily as Steffen aimed a bludger at her head. Emily, however, was hit on the side by Jo, who had stuck out her bat to stop her. But this didn't stop Emily, who plunged on. Both girls seemed to be trying to get the Snitch with everything they had, but in the end, one false move decided the match.

"Got it!"

"And our second game has come to a close, finally!" called Rebecca over the microphone, "And the winners, with two-hundred twenty points… SANCHEZ'S FLYING BURRITOS!"

"Yeah!" shouted Matt and Steffen as Mateo and Shailagh joined Emily in holding up the arm with the Snitch in it. The stands erupted in cheers, clapping, and a few snarls and boos from the Slytherins, but they were drowned out by the commentary.

"And the team named after a delightful Mexican dish take the victory," said Luna, "Speaking of which, I'm hungry. What did they have for lunch today?"

"Same thing as everyday. Everything," said Rebecca, sounding delighted.

"Well, it was a good match anyway," Luna added, "And the next one promises to be good, too. Random Insanity will take on Seniors. Oh! That's my team, isn't it? Well, I should probably get going…"

"Okay, see you after the match, Luna," said Rebecca, "And now Seniors versus Random Insanity, the team name given by the founder of this little league. As the teams step on to the field, Captain Cormac McLaggen shakes hands with Ginny Weasley. Speaking of teams, on the Insanity side, we have Chasers Luna Lovegood, Lillian Sicily, and Terri Thompson; Beaters Neville Longbottom and Sarah Watkins; Keeper Renee Lorenzo; and Seeker Ginny Weasley. On the Seniors side: Chasers Daren Backshaw, Marcus Belby, and Maria Martine; Beaters David Reggie and Jamison Frost; Keeper Cormac, and Seeker Cho Chang."

"Bitch," said Emily, as the group sat in the stands to watch the match, "Her and that friend of hers Marietta."

"Excuse me?" came a snobby voice from behind them. All of the Flying Burritos turned and saw not only the pimpled face of Marietta, but also most of the Hogwarts Hotties team, and a few other friends of Cho and Marietta.

"I called you a bitch," said Emily, calmly, and showing no sign of fear.

"Look, Davis, I don't know what you have against me, but from what everyone's been telling me, you're not worth my time," said Marietta.

"Well, then why are you talking to her?" Shailagh asked.

"If she's not worth your breath, which says a lot about you since she's worth a hundred of you," said Matt, "Then why do you even speak to her?"

All the girls just continued to glare, until one suggested they move over by the goal hoops for the Seniors. As they left, Emily coughed twice, but managed to squeeze the word "asinine" between them. The match had already started, and the Seniors were up by ten (twenty to ten). Ginny was leading Cho on a wild-goose chase, while Lillian, Terri, and Luna struggled to keep the Quaffle in their possession (Maria was especially talented, and Daren was very aggressive). Neville seemed a little reluctant to get close enough to the Bludgers to actually hit them, but Sarah was a little over-enthusiastic with her job, swinging left and right and having no control over where she sent the Bludgers. Renee and Cormac were both good Keepers, but Renee, only a Second Year, was about a quarter of the size of Cormac, and so she had more trouble blocking.

Then, one of the Beaters, David Reggie, the boy who was a few bricks shy of a load, slammed his Beater's Bat into Neville's Mouth. He fell off his broom, clutching his mouth, and was caught by Lillian, who was thankfully flying under him. Madam Hooch ordered two penalties for the Insanity team, something that was fueled by Jamison's protests over even one. Lillian took both, and missed the first one by about eight feet out of nerves, but sent the second one right through Cormac's gorilla-like arms.

"And game play resumes with the Seniors in possession," came Rebecca's commentary, "And Maria Martine soars up the Pitch with no problems, and… a close save for Renee. And Luna has the ball… and her flying style is quite novel, to say the least…"

Indeed, it was. Luna seemed to enjoy moving in the most random ways possible: left, right, down, up, twirl around, reverse, brake, and head-over-heels. She had the vacant look and dreamy-eyed expression as she soared to the left, dodging Daren. She twisted up and right, where Maria barely missed her. And the third Chaser didn't even bother to go near her as she neared the goal hoops. What's more, Cormac seemed completely confused by this, and missed completely. Luna had taken nearly five minutes to cross the Pitch, but she had scored.

"And the Quaffle is returned to Daren… and is promptly stolen by Lillian Sicily!" Rebecca's commentary explained.

"Go Lillian!" shouted Matt from the stands. Lillian seemed to hear him and speed up, avoiding Maria and shooting. Cormac missed again, although that's because he was telling Maria to be more careful in her attacks. The crowd cheered and jeered while Lillian performed a well-deserved Lap of Honor.

The next 45 minutes passed with plenty of action… unless Luna got a hold of the Quaffle, that is. Cormac wised up and paid attention to the game, and Ginny and Cho had gone for the Snitch twice, only to have it disappear. Renee blocked some superb shots from Maria and Daren, and Cormac still managed to miss four more shots (two from Lillian, one from Luna, and one from Terri Thompson, a First Year). However, as the sun began to set at four, the score was eighty to fifty, in favor of Random Insanity. The crowd had grown to about three-quarters of the size of a normal Quidditch Match, though some still stayed away.

"And Maria Martine takes the Quaffle again!" called Rebecca, "She tries the shot, it's pushed back. She tries again, and… caught by Renee! This game is getting to be as interesting as the previous, and with about as much skill all around!"

Luna took the Quaffle again, but, to everyone's relief, passed to Terri Thompson, who shot off, trying to balance the Quaffle on her tiny arm. She tried to score, but Cormac blocked it just in time. Finally, Cho and Ginny went into a dive, right in the center of the Pitch.

"And there go our Seekers!" roared Rebecca, "Ginny and Cho, both diving for the tiny Snitch. Ginny retreats due to a Bludger, and Cho shoots ahead… the girls dive again… and… and… Cho gets the Snitch."

"No!" groaned Matt.

"God dammit!" snarled Steffen and Emily at the same time.

The Seniors all collected around Cho, cheering and whooping, and jeering and pointing at the Random Insanity team. Ginny, Renee, Luna, and Sarah strode off the field with dignity. Terri and Lillian both looked ready to cry, and Neville looked thoroughly dejected as he stumbled off the field.

"Well, we'll just have to get them next time," said Matt, "No problem."

The final game was rescheduled for noon the next day, since it had already grown dark. So, everyone left the stadium, chatting and laughing, and went back inside the castle for the night.

At noon the next day, only half of the crowd returned, although the number of Slytherins had tripled, and they all sat in one corner, right behind Flower Power's goal hoops. Rebecca, Luna, and Matt sat in the commentator's podium, waiting for the game to begin.

"We have one game today, Salazar's Finest versus Flower Power. Should be a fun game," Matt said, "And it is now noon, and Madam Hooch looks ready to go."

"So let's introduce the teams," said Rebecca, "On Salazar's Finest side, we have Chasers Esme Carter, Ken Naples, and Carl Robertson; Beaters Yancy Carter and Daniel Xavier; Keeper Theodore Nott; and Seeker Vince Frederickson."

"And Flower Power's team," Matt said, "Chasers Isabel Moon, Cecilia Peterson, and Melanie Darson; Beaters Cameron Orlando and Lloyd Irving; Keeper Eileen Adams; and Seeker Rachel Younger!"

A large number of First and Second Years clapped and squealed as Flower Power flew out on to the Pitch. The Slytherins booed and cat-called. The teams met in the middle, and Isabel shook hands with Yancy, who did his best to cripple her hand, which was about a tenth of the size of his. She didn't even flinch, however, and only shook her hand slightly as she retreated to the line of her team.

"And the Quaffle is released!" called Rebecca as Madam Hooch shot the Quaffle into the air, "And... Carl takes the Quaffle. Isabel challenges, but is denied as Yancy goes for the goal. Keeper Eileen dives and... score, ten points for Salazar's Finest!"

Loud cheers came from the Slytherins, but most of the crowd groaned as Carl soared around the Pitch with a fist in the air. The Quaffle was passed to Isabel, who shot forward at a high rate of speed. She managed to avoid Esme, who was coming for the Quaffle, dodged a bludger sent her way by Yancy, and she scored as well.

Isabel had sent a heart-stopping throw towards the goal posts. Keeper Theodore hadn't expected that much power from her, and missed it by a foot. So with the score now ten to ten, both sides decided to employ their strengths: speed for the Flower Power side, brawn for the Salazar's Finest side. When the clock in the distance tolled one, the score was eighty to thirty, the stronger Slytherins defeating the weaker, smaller First Years. But the game already had their own spectacles.

Eileen was proving her worth as a strong Keeper, flying left and right to try and save goals. Still, she only blocked one of the ones shot towards her, and the Slytherins' jeering right below her wasn't helping. Isabel was leading the other two Chasers on a reign of speedy terror, showing great skill for girls who could barely fly six inches only weeks previous. However, Esme seemed keen on especially destroying Isabel, which was proven when she rammed hard into her, making her crash into the stands. The young girl furiously took the penalty shot, scoring ten more points for her team.

Lloyd and Cameron were not the best Beaters in the league. They were sticks compared to the strong, athletic Slytherins they faced, and none could hit a Bludger worth anything. They were a valuable tool in blocking them, having saved Rachel and Isabel six times, one a very nice hit that managed to knock Esme off course as well. As for Rachel, her lighter weight was a definite plus since she could pull break-neck turns a lot easier than Vince.

Melanie had the Quaffle and flew close to the ground, hoping to shoot up at the last second and score. During the ascent, Lloyd pulled of a nice Bludger hit that, while coming nowhere near the Keeper, was enough to distract him and allow for Melanie to score her first goal of the game, causing the stands of First Years and Hufflepuffs to cheer. Then, the Slytherins seemed to realize the little girls were catching up, so they began to get rougher.

Esme ripped the Quaffle out of Cecilia's hands and sent her spinning away before shooting off towards the goals. Isabel tried to steal from above, and Esme swerved, her ankle knocking Isabel off course. This wasn't a foul because it had been an evasive maneuver and Isabel had gotten too close. Cameron hit a Bludger at her, and it gave the Slytherin a wide arc before returning to its antagonizer. Esme put it through the hoops with no challenge from Eileen.

"And as the score continues to rise, so do the clouds..." said Luna's voice dreamily over the intercom, "But that aside, isn't it a wonderful day? So blue, so pretty... and seeing such a young team nearly beating a bunch of big, mean Slytherins seems like an emotional storybook, doesn't it?"

"That it does," said Rebecca, "They're a very talented bunch of girls and guys. Anyway... Isabel takes the Quaffle and promptly has it torn away by Esme, who passes to Carl... who scores. Oh, and... Rachel and Vince are neck-and-neck, THEY'VE SEEN THE SNITCH!"

The score was so close that it was anyone's game. Rachel and Vince were, indeed, neck-and-neck as they soared around the Pitch. Rachel, being lighter, would be able to take turns better, but the Snitch seemed to stay on a straight path as it soared towards a tower in the stands. Suddenly, a bludger pelted out of nowhere and barely missed slamming Vince in the head. He rolled and Rachel soared ahead. She kept going, coming within an inch of the Snitch when Yancy pulled a fast one and slammed head-first into Cameron, though making it look like Cameron had cut him off.

"Gah," muttered Matt, "Unless Rachel gets the Snitch before Madam Hooch gets word..."

Alas, that wasn't the case. Madam Hooch's whistle caught Rachel off guard and she fumbled the Snitch. With a look of pure glee and malice, Ken took the penalty shot, and Eileen missed out of anger. This put Salazar's Finest at one hundred, Flower Power at fifty. Then it started again: Rachel and Vince both spotted the Snitch from opposite ends of the field and soared right at each other, diving and flying straight towards another tower. It became a game of chicken: who would last the longest before getting freaked out by the impending crash? Then the same thing happened, except Rachel was fouled this time.

"And another never-ending game," said Rebecca, "As Isabel takes the penalty for Flower Power, making it with ease."

But then the process began again, almost the exact same way as before. Except this time they were going straight for a different tower, from high in the sky. They came down, dodging oncoming players and bludgers. It turned and Rachel pulled ahead slightly, yet they still seemed to want to head towards the nearest tower. Lloyd, shocking everyone, managed to hit Vince squarely in the chest with a Bludger (although he did admit later it was a complete accident), and he doubled over, sagging to the ground. This left Rachel wide open, and she took her opportunity.

"IT'S OVER!" roared Matt into the microphone while Rebecca cheered with the rest of the crowd, "In a major upset, the underdogs, Flower Power, beat Salazar's Finest, two hundred to one hundred!"

The Slytherins made furious noises and gestures from their fields, throwing anything they could at the collected Flower Power team. They soared to the ground, hugging each other, many sobbing. Their back-up team scuttled out to meet them, and they walked off the field together. The Keeper for Salazar's Finest, Theodore, was still sitting by his hoops, stunned. Yancy hit a Bludger at him and nearly knocked him off his broom, and the Slytherins left the field looking properly dejected.

Emily and Steffen had their detention with Sprout, so they only heard the commentary as they re-potted a few unpleasant plants that smelled wretched and liked to leave brown spots on whatever touched them. They both roared with laughter when they heard Flower Power had beat Salazar's Finest. If they were the finest, they wondered what his worst would bring. Really... beaten by First Years...

"So, after yesterday's match," said Matt, writing some things down on the parchment in the Ravenclaw Common Room, "I've come up with this comprehensive list for the teams. The standings are as follows..."

LEAGUE STANDINGS:

Team:Points Accumulated:

1.Sanchez's Flying Burritos220

2.The Superior Seven210

3.Seniors200 (T)

4.Flower Power200 (T)

5.Almighty170

6.Salazar's Finest100

7.Random Insanity70

8.Intransigence60

9.Helga's Hell-Raisers40

10.Hogwarts Hotties20

"Excellent... Hogwarts Hotties are in last!" Emily cried happily.

"Yes, that is a good thing," said Matt, "But we can talk later, you guys need to get out of here before Sinistra catches us."

"Bah, she won't care," Steffen said, though he followed the two into the corridor. Half of their Monday had passed, with them only having to attend Defense Against the Dark Arts that morning, where Snape had complained some more since a part of the class couldn't even do an Aguamenti Spell silently. No one bothered to point out that Flitwick had just taught them that, and many took the extra homework without complaint.

"Hey!" called Lisa from down the corridor, "Hurry up, the eggs are hatching!"

"Really?" said Emily, looking thrilled, "I wanna see!"

"Let's go, then, a lot of others are down there already!" called Lisa, turning and rushing off.

The Americans dashed through the halls, shoving anyone aside they met (although Matt almost slammed into Professor Slughorn, who was just coming around the corner). When they reached the double doors, they threw them open with such a force that two Slytherin Fourth Years were tossed to the ground, swearing loudly and angrily. The three didn't stop until they were skidding to a halt in back of Hagrid's hut, each panting for breath and trying not to pass out. Matt sat on a stump while Hagrid excitedly informed them that the eggs were cracking more and the hatching process was almost complete.

"Any minun' now..." he said, his eyes shining, "Jus' another momen'..."

"I can't wait to get mine," said Emily happily, peering into the boxes where each egg had indeed gotten many cracks in it. Silence passed for about eight more minutes as each person walked to the egg they had picked out. Fifteen minutes passed, and the first one poked his head out, causing many gasps and squeals. It was in Hagrids' box, and he got a motherly expression in his eyes when he saw it.

"Innit he a 'beaut?" asked Hagrid softly, watching the tiny gryphon peck its way out of the egg.

Emily squealed happily when the gryphon in her egg poked her beak through. She could see it was a golden color, while Hagrids' had been black. Steffen's turned out to be black as well, with bright, yellow eyes, which blinked only twice before the exhausted animal slept next to its hollowed-out egg. His was the first, and quickest, to extricate himself from his egg; Emily's took most of the first period and Matt's was only about a quarter of the way along when the first bell rang. Hagrid waved them all away from the crates, over to where he had set up a make-shift classroom of stumps for chairs and taller stumps for desks.

"Righ' then. I know we've been' studyin' abou' more traditional gryphons," Hagrid said, "But these ones are diff'rent. See, while mos' gryphons live ter be eigh' hundre' years old, an' take 110 years ter mature... these ones are a little diff'rent. They'll mature by the end o' this year, an' they'll live ter be one hundred and seventy-seven. They're a special breed raised speciff'clly to grow quickly, though shorter life spans are the downside. Mind yourselves around them, they'll be hungry and a little playful at first."

"How fast will they grow, exactly?" asked Shailagh, putting her hand up.

"I'd imagine they'll be about four feet by the end o' this year," Hagrid said fairly, "An' those of you returnin' next year'll get to train 'em up!"

"Really?" gasped Emily.

"Excellent!" Steffen said, cackling.

"We'll still have ter cover mo' creatures fer yer N.E.W.T.s, but that won' be too bad," said Hagrid.

They returned to the boxes to watch them hatch. Emily stroked hers, who made a small noise and turned over in her sleep. She rolled onto her back, allowing Emily to scratch her stomach. She made a strange noise, like a mixture of a cat's purr and a bird's chirp, but it was so cute that Emily squealed again. Steffen also scratched his behind the ear while it slept. Matt gave his little one a hand, and she pulled herself out backwards, bounced against the wall of her box, and shook her head to clear it. She tried to stand on her legs, but she immediately fell over. She was a silvery color, though her hindquarters were slightly calico-like. Hagrid had mentioned that it was common in females, so he just patted her and she fell into a sleep as well. Everyone else was patting their gryphons while they slept, some a little tensely, as though preparing to run if the gryphons decided to attack.

It was a real shame when the bell rang across the grounds. With moans and groans, everyone packed up their stuff, said good-bye to their gryphons, and headed back to the castle or their next class. Emily was still excited about her little gryphon, which only increased when Matt suggested they could go down after lessons and help out with them. This was only slightly diminished when they all went to Potions, and it wasn't until Matt actually walked into the room did he realize he wasn't actually taking the course.

"I'll see you guys later," he said, turning to leave, but, for the second time that day, almost ran straight into Professor Slughorn, who had filled up the whole doorway.

"Ah! Mr. Warren!" he boomed, "Such a nice surprise, you never come down here!"

"Well... I only got an A in my Potions O.W.L., so there was no chance of taking it," said Matt quietly while most of the arrived class turned to watch.

"Well, my boy, do you want to take this class?" Professor Slughorn asked.

"I... well, I'm rather wretched at making Potions and it'll only cause you more trouble when I try to..." Matt began.

"Nonsense! In fact, I insist that you join this class. I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore this evening!" Slughorn boomed.

"Er... thanks," Matt said, torn between the thought of screwing up when Slughorn was taking notice of the three Americans and the thought of an extra class's homework assignment.

"Now then, off you go, I'm sure you've got organizing to do with something!" said Slughorn, moving so that Matt could squeeze through.

"Right... thanks, Professor," Matt said, rushing up the stone stairs, knowing he had to finish as much homework as he could now.

Typically, Harry came out on top for the class, and Emily and Steffen found Matt awash in a sea of books and parchment when they reached the Library. Matt was certainly not looking forward to Potions, and vaguely wondered if he'd be able to fit it all in. But, the next day, Slughorn found Matt during breakfast and presented him with cauldron, book, and a few ingredients. With another sigh, Matt slammed his head on the table, not nearly looking forward to going to lessons as much as usual.

"Eight classes?" Lisa said from next to him, "It's a wonder you can fit them all in!"

"Not helping..." muttered Matt, placing his new items in the bag to take upstairs.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Okay! If you've survived that obnoxiously long chapter, you may feel free to review. In fact, I encourage it! Constructive criticisms, praise, and lots of money are always welcome!**


	7. Ch 7: Shailagh's Predictions

**From The Author's Mind:**

**Chapter 7! Lucky Chapter 7! Aaaah! Okay. No more spazzing. It's been a really long week, and I'm a little twitchy this evening. Um… hmm… well, this one has some fun stuff in it and a few relationships change (for the better). This is one chapter I actually got a lot of criticism about because of a certain character's reaction to something that happens near the end, so… we'll see.**

Chapter Seven: Shailagh's Predictions

The first Potions lesson for Matt was first thing Wednesday morning. It was unlucky enough for Matt because he was used to sleeping in until ten on Wednesdays, so having to be in the dungeons at nine wasn't his idea of a good morning. Emily and Steffen made space at their table for him, and Lisa sat with Jose and Mateo. When Professor Slughorn entered the room, a hush fell. Their large Professor turned to the chalkboard and wrote, in big letters, MIND-CLEARING POTIONS. Everyone sat there, staring at him, and he beamed as he turned.

"I'm sure none of you have ever experienced it, but how many of you have parents or siblings who have ever been drunk?" asked Slughorn.

Emily and Steffen were among the many to raise their hands, both recalling her sister's wedding. Matt honestly couldn't ever remember experiencing drunkenness of a family member, so he left his hand down. He was the only one to do so apart from Ernie Macmillan.

"Well, then, today is a very good day for your families," said Professor Slughorn, "Because, when I'm through with you, you will know how to make a potion known commonly as the Sobering Draft, the first basic Potion in our small Mind-Clearing Potions unit. Now, you're going to need a few ingredients not normally found in Potion kits, so my stores are open. Feel free to take what you need. The potion can be found on page one sixty-five, so have at it!"

Emily got them their ingredients and began to work. She was hoping that she might actually beat Harry today, so she was careful to follow all the instructions to a T. Steffen, as per usual, tried to mimic Emily, with near-same results. Matt, however, proved his disastrous tendencies with Potions and mixed up Bubotuber Pus with Armadillo Bile, which resulted in a spectacular chemical reaction in the cauldron: a mild explosion, an atomic-like cloud erupting from it, shimmering and giving off a strong smell of French fries. He stared at it as the cloud dissipated and glanced to Slughorn, who was rolling in his chair from laughter. With a sigh, Matt moved to his cauldron to try and salvage the mess.

"So basically, I'm there for comic relief," he told the other two while they sat in the courtyard during break. It was very crowded, with students reading and doing their homework assignments every few feet, while some of the younger students dodged between each other in an impromptu game of tag. Rachel hid behind Matt while Isabel chased after all of the other girls. Emily gave Rachel a surprised look, and the latter took off and hid behind some Hufflepuffs instead. Matt smiled and returned to his Potions essay: "Friends Don't Let Friends Fly Drunk."

"Nice title," said Steffen.

"I thought I'd show Slughorn I can actually do stuff right when I really try," said Matt, happily.

"Oh, crap, we have to go to his party tonight," said Emily with a groan. She hadn't really been looking forward to the party, especially since Cormac McLaggen and Blaise Zabini were going.

"Oh, joy, we get to listen to him gloat about how he's the reason the Holyhead Harpies are so great and how he stopped the second Ice Age," said Steffen sarcastically.

"Come on, guys," Matt said, "It could be fun!"

"So could getting our fingernails ripped out," said Emily.

Nevertheless, they still reported to Slughorn's office at six that evening. They were the first to arrive, though Hermione showed up soon after, claiming she'd been in the Library. Slughorn greeted them all fondly, showing them to their seats. Blaise Zabini arrived next, throwing the others contemptuous looks before sitting on Slughorn's left. When Cormac walked in, Slughorn greeted him the loudest and shook his hand with gusto, having him sit at the right-hand side. Hermione informed them that Ginny and Harry had Quidditch practice and wouldn't be able to attend. This was something Matt knew all too well, since the Seniors and Salazar's Finest had complained of their lack of practices due to Gryffindor's almost monopolical booking of the Pitch. And when Gryffindor wasn't on it, Hufflepuff was, though they allowed Almighty and Helga's Hell-Raisers to scrimmage them, something that bothered many and infuriated the Seniors and Salazar's Finest (although the latter were given assurances by the Slytherin team that they would get the same privileges when they got the field).

Then, the party began. Slughorn served them all a few types of appetizers that none of the Americans could identify, while going on and on about some of McLaggen's connections. When they began the main course (a meat that tasted like steak with potatoes in all types on the side), he moved onto Hermione's achievements and Zabini's parents and grandparents' inventions, saying Zabini was showing some of their flair. Then, he came to the Americans.

"... and as for you three, Dumbledore obviously sees something in all of you, and it's obvious why!" Slughorn said, "Being able to run an entire league is something that I could never dream of doing... so much pressure... so many complaints... how do you do it?"

"Well..." Matt said, "I... I guess you just take what comes at you and try to make everyone as happy as possible. I mean, obviously someone'll be disappointed at some point..."

"But you can just hit 'em with a stick if they complain," Emily said happily, chewing a piece of meat. Slughorn roared with laughter, and claimed he loved how Emily had such a good sense of humor.

"You know, I'm good friends with Gwenog Jones, Hollyhead Harpies Captain," said Slughorn impressively, "Taught her myself, excellent in Charms and Potions of course. I could get her in touch with you three, in case you want to get involved with the Professional Quidditch League."

"Why? We're not that good at Quidditch," said Steffen in a somewhat modest voice.

"Not good? My dear boy, your team is in first place!" shouted Slughorn, "Of course you're good!"

"I'm in that league, you know," Cormac said, clearly keen on getting all the attention diverted to him again, "Captain of the Seniors."

"You're number... three, correct?" Slughorn said, trying to recall the list.

"Tied with Flower Power," said Emily with a snicker. Hermione and even Blaise roared with laughter at this, and Cormac flushed. Slughorn grinned and returned to Matt and Emily and Steffen.

"You three do come from America, and to show such talent with only a year of official schooling! You three could really do a lot for Hogwarts, you know..." said Slughorn.

"Thanks..." said Matt and Steffen at the same time while Emily merely nodded.

"Yes, I've always said the American wizards were a little more practical and modern than us Europeans, especially the Brits! But I wouldn't say a word against our Ministry at this point, and I do wish you wouldn't tell any I made that little statement..." Slughorn continued between bites of food.

"Aye," Steffen said in a slightly flat voice.

The dinner continued with more of Slughorns compliments, and then a story about some famous author he had in class and a few of her exploits (including an attempt at starting an inter-castle newspaper, which failed spectacularly), and, by the time desert arrived, only Slughorn ate full slices of pie and cake while everyone else took little things: cookies, candies, and a few other small delicacies. The Americans kept glancing at their watches, Matt because he wanted to do some homework before Astronomy, and Emily and Steffen because they were fast becoming bored with the party and were dreading another invitation.

"Oh my! Is it really eight already?" boomed Slughorn an hour later, interrupting Cormac's story about his fathers' brothers' great aunt's sister's fiancée's brother or something and standing to escort everyone out, "Well, off to your Common Rooms, I don't want any of you getting in trouble now! Good night! Good night!"

"That was so... asinine," Emily said, "Especially when he started in on Cormac."

"Well... yes... tonight was a little boring..." Hermione, who accompanied them, said, "But... some other nights have been fun..."

"I'm never going again," said Steffen, "It was the biggest waste of time ever."

"Oh God..." moaned Matt, "I'll never finish that stupid Defense Against the Dark Arts book by tomorrow..."

"Then just skim it," said Emily with a shrug, "It's on Shield Charms, you know how to do a Shield Charm, so you don't need to read it."

"Alright..." said Matt as they reached the split in the corridor and separated to their Common Rooms.

However, it was apparent the next morning that Matt had stayed up all night reading the book, for he could barely keep his head up while Snape lectured them on the proper way to cast a Shield Charm, and then used Neville for a demonstration. Although the nervous Gryffindor did the spell perfectly, Snape took ten points from Gryffindor because Neville hadn't followed Snape's directions on casting.

"How late were you up last night!" Emily raged at Matt as they ate a quick brunch during their break.

"Three..." muttered Matt sleepily, his head on the table.

"I told you to skim it!" Emily said, exasperated.

"I know..." moaned Matt, "But I just had to read all of it, just in case..."

"Well, you have History of Magic later today, you can sleep in there," said Steffen.

But that never came to pass. During Potions, Matt fell asleep and knocked over his cauldron, causing his Migraine Solution to spill all over him and the floor. Normally, it would have had no effect, but, since Matt had been mixing it, he started choking and shuddering violently, as though he was having an epileptic fit. By the time Slughorn reached him, Matt was almost curled into a ball and shaking so violently that the table next to him had to move their stuff so he wouldn't smash into it and cause head trauma.

"To the Hospital Wing, then," said Slughorn loudly as a few people looked extremely worried. Lisa was standing about three feet away, transfixed and unable to move. Emily could see the Slytherins laughing, but she ignored them as she cast a Full-Body Bind on Matt, stopping his thrashing, but not helping his breathing.

"Ten points to Gryffindor," said Slughorn seriously, "Now, since you three..." (he pointed to Emily, Steffen, and Jose) "... are done, I would like you to accompany Mr. Warren to the Hospital Wing. I will get your marks delivered to you by tonight, and all of you are excused from homework."

"Thank you, sir," said Jose, as he and Steffen picked up Matt's immobile body and Emily collected his stuff. Matt kept his eyes straight up to the ceiling as they walked, both looking bloodshot and extremely large.

"Will he be okay?" Jose asked Madam Pomfrey after she had finished attending to Matt.

"Of course he will," said Madam Pomfrey, "It's just lucky you got him to stop seizuring and moved those cauldrons. He could have had some serious head-trauma."

"Sleeping, I guess?" Steffen said, looking at Matt's lifeless body (though with more color and relaxed muscles).

"Yes, and he will be until tomorrow. That was most of his problem right there... honestly... eight N.E.W.T. classes..." and then she raged to herself a few minutes more about over-worked students before attending to her other patients (a Second Year wandered in with her wand magically bound to her left arm and a Slytherin Fifth Year was out cold in the bed across from Matt, having had an accident in the Herbology lab). Emily and Steffen stood awkwardly at the foot of Matt's bed, but Jose looked down the ward and smiled.

"Shailagh, you're feeling better?" he asked, walking over to see his fellow Hufflepuff.

"Sorta..." muttered the girl, who was propped up against the bed with a couple of pillows and reading a book they'd been assigned in Transfiguration, "At least the constant throbbing has lessened to a dull pulse..."

"Did you see anything big?" asked Jose as Emily and Steffen wandered over.

"No, it was just a bunch of little things," sighed Shailagh, "There's just some days I can't block the whole 'see-everyone-in-the-school's-pointless-futures' for the life of me..."

"Did you see anything interesting?" asked Steffen, who sat on the bed next to her.

"Well, Bridget O'Riley is going to fall down the stairs tomorrow night, Sally-Anne Perks' mother is going to become pregnant with twin boys, and Zacharias Smith is going to regret having woken up this Saturday," said Shailagh fairly, "But nothing else. Just little things like forgetting a homework assignment or hearing a bit of false gossip. Sometimes being a Seer is a pain in the neck."

"I bet it is," said Jose, "I'm... gonna go do some work... see you all later!"

"Bye," said Emily and Steffen as Jose followed the Second Year out (her wand now returned to her pocket). Madam Pomfrey complained to herself for another five minutes as she cleaned up a few loose potion bottles, straightened the sheets for Matt and the Slytherin, and then strode into her office. Once there, Shailagh heaved another sigh and looked into her friends' eyes.

"I also saw some things for each of you that you might like to know about," she said, "Although the only one I'm sure of is Matt. Care to hear?"

"Of course," said Emily, "I'd like to know how this year is going to be more hellish than the last."

"Well, yours is the most difficult to read," said Shailagh, "But I can sense a source of evil from it... and an innocent victim as well. There's not much I can say about him or her except they have red hair. Oh, I don't think it's me, nor Ginny Weasley, so don't worry about that. But that's about all I can get from it. I'm sorry."

"Fair enough," said Emily, "If you saw anymore, you'd probably get an aneurysm."

"Agreed," said Shailagh, "Although some days it would be welcome. Steffen... well, when your family finds out you've left Salem, they're not going to be happy. In fact... leaving Salem was a blessing and a curse, but you don't want to know what I mean, so..."

"Yes I do!" Steffen said, "What do you mean by that?"

"Just keep an eye on your mail," said Shailagh bracingly, "You'll see."

"Right. What about Matt?" asked Steffen.

"Well..." said Shailagh, hesitating, but then she took a deep breath and delivered the news, "I don't see him and Lisa lasting much longer. I don't know if you've noticed it, but she hasn't exactly been around him much lately, and that's not just because of schoolwork."

"Is she cheating on him?" Emily asked, flying straight into defensive-friend mode.

"No... well... not exactly," said Shailagh, "But... I think she's found a better match, and while she doesn't really want to hurt Matt, I think she'll soon realize that it'll be better for her to be with someone other than Matt. But before I could get Matt's reaction, I had the vision of Bridget falling down the stairs, so I don't know what'll come about that."

"Is there any way to stop it?" asked Emily.

"Well, even if you tried, it wouldn't matter," said Shailagh, "Whatever you do, or don't do, it won't affect what I've already seen. All I can say is, be prepared to be the shoulder to cry on if and when a break-up occurs."

"And what do you see about my grade on that Herbology test we took on Tuesday?" asked Steffen.

Shailagh closed her eyes, but then winced, "Don't get your hopes up."

Matt left the Hospital Wing just in time for lunch the next day. After he met with Emily and Steffen, both of whom seemed to get a little tense when Lisa joined them, they proceeded to Transfiguration. Almost the entire class asked how Matt was feeling, and Matt cheerfully told them he was completely better and fully rested. His old standards of Transfiguration returned when Professor McGonagall asked them to conjure up a pillow, and Matt and Hermione produced matching pillows with the same level of comfort.

In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid showed them how to properly nurse the baby gryphons, which had already grown an inch in their first week. Emily happily fed hers, who drank twice as much as the other gryphons. Steffen's little one had a hard time trying to find the top of the bottle, though he managed it after a few tries. Matt's kept slobbering milk all over herself, but it was in such a cute way that Emily squealed when Matt showed her. This was the only time she acted this way.

That afternoon, they were found by both Slughorn and Sprout. Emily and Steffen had both gotten E's on their Potions work, while Matt had been excused. In the former two's Herbology, Emily was surprised to see she had gotten an A, although Steffen had gotten a D. Sprout had warned him that unless he got an A on the next test, he would be given remedial work in addition to his normal class.

"Great. Just fucking great," snarled Steffen as the three sat in the Astronomy tower that night. It was raining, so they were having class inside.

"It could be worse," said Emily, "At least she's giving you one more shot at getting a good grade, rather than just making you take the classes now. And besides, it's Quidditch tomorrow!"

"Yes, and it should prove to be fun," said Matt while he took notes on Professor Sinistra's lecture on Saturn and its rings' composition, "But I'm more concerned by the pile of homework we have this weekend, and the fact that we haven't had a Quidditch Practice in three days."

"Oh yeah... we should book the lake for after the game tomorrow."

"Can you believe Cormac? He's booked section two of the lake for tomorrow, but, so far, he and Dustin are the only two planning to attend," said Matt.

"Intransigence are still doing their five a.m. gig?" asked Steffen.

"Without fail," said Matt, "They're going to flatten their opponents, unless they play Salazar's Finest, who are very vicious to the Chasers for some reason."

"I can't wait to see who plays who. I hope the rivals all play each other at some point..." said Emily.

"Don't worry," said Shailagh, who was sitting in the row ahead, "They will."

"That's enough for tonight, folks," said Professor Sinistra genially as the clock tolled one, "Back to the Common Rooms with you all."

The next day, the rain had passed and the grounds were dry in time for the game. Luna Lovegood, Rachel Younger, and Matt all sported large, lion-like hats for the match, although Luna said a fourth one for Emily was missing. She couldn't remember who had borrowed it, and it might have been Lisa... who was conspicuously absent from the group. Matt didn't seem to care too much and only made mention of it once before they climbed the stands for the game. As the group took seats, and the game began, they heard a voice come across the stadium, one that didn't fill them with glee.

"Well, there they go, and I think we're all surprised to see the team that Potter's put together this year. Many thought, given Ronald Weasley's patchy performance as Keeper last year, that he might be off the team, but, of course, a close personal friendship with the Captain does help your chances..."

"Damn him!" roared Emily, "God damn him to hell!"

"Emily, shut up!" Matt gasped. Professor Sprout was six rows down, and she whirled around, her eyes trying to figure out who had shouted.

"Why does Zacharias have to commentate?" asked Luna, "He's not very good, nor is he nice."

"Oh, and here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal, it's Urquhart streaking down the pitch and--"

"COME ON, RON!" roared Steffen.

Ron dove for the Quaffle, arms outstretched. And he caught it. Luna, Matt, and Rachel made their hats roar as the crowd around them exploded with cheers, clapping and hollering at the top of their lungs. Ron threw the Quaffle to Ginny, who took off towards Slytherin's end.

"And the brother and sister routine is apparent," said Zacharias snidely, "I rather thought Potter would choose talent rather than his best friend and his annoying sister..."

And with that, Ginny scored. Zacharias stuttered slightly, before croaking out another, "It was all luck." Matt, Rachel, Luna, Emily, and Steffen cheered for Ginny as Slytherin's Chasers grouped up, soaring down the Pitch. Again, Ron saved and passed to Demelza, who scored her first goal. Ginny quickly stole the ball from the Slytherins and scored again. This pattern continued, with Ron pulling off increasingly spectacular saves and Ginny, Demelza, and Dean really putting it to the Slytherins. Dean scored once, and Ginny scored twice, although Demelza was having trouble holding on to the Quaffle with Urquhart practically on top of her. When half an hour of playing time passed, Zacharias seemed to have realized bashing the Chasers and Ron wasn't going to work anymore, so he moved on to the Beaters.

"Of course, Coote isn't really the usual build for a Beater. They've generally got a bit more muscle than him, which makes many wonder if he can even change the direction the Bludgers fly in," said Zacharias smugly.

Once again, he was proven wrong. Coote sent a Bludger directly into Seeker Harper's ribs, causing him to gasp for breath. When Zacharias tried to go on Peakes, Jimmy hit a Bludger squarely at the commentator's podium, which resulted in a penalty for Slytherin (to which Ron pulled off such a beautiful save that the Gryffindor supporters began to sing "Weasley Is Our King," and Ron conducted them from above). Ginny put three more goals away, Dean fended off Urquhart long enough for Demelza to get ten points, and then Harper collided with Harry, causing everyone to go into a fit below.

"MADAM HOOCH, YOU IDIOT! WHY DO YOU NOT OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THAT FOUL!" roared Matt.

"Mr. Warren, I will not tolerate you insulting teachers at this school. Ten points from Ravenclaw," called Professor Sprout, who had still been glancing back occasionally.

"Well. That sucks," said Matt, sitting down, looking as though he'd been hit with a mace.

"What is Harry doing!" gasped Emily, "Harper's going to get the Snitch!"

"Harry, MOVE!" shouted Steffen.

"And I think Harper of Slytherin's seen the Snitch!" Zacharias said, "Yes, he's certainly seen something Potter hasn't..."

"HARRY, IT'S RIGHT THERE!" shouted Emily at the top of her lungs, Luna repeatedly making her hat roar in an effort to alert Harry. It seemed to work because he was soon after Harper.

"And it doesn't look like Potter's going to make it. Though with two skin-and-bones Beaters, a mediocre Keeper, his bratty sister, an annoying Second Year, and an average classmate, coupled with their collective A. D. D., it's a wonder they've even made it this far in the game."

"I'm going to kill him. That's it, he's done," said Matt.

"I don't think you have to worry," said Rachel, who was scanning the sky with her glasses, "I think that last sneer pushed Ginny over the edge. She just chucked the Quaffle at Demelza and flipped off Smith. Her face is rather red, too."

"And it looks like... oh, God... Potter got the Snitch..." came Zacharias' depressed voice.

The Gryffindor supporters exploded into cheers, making the stadium quake as they leapt around, cheered, whistled, and tried to match the Concorde's decibel level. The Gryffindor team surrounded each other, hugging in mid-air. Ginny, however, turned kamikaze and hurled herself through the air, right into the commentator's podium. The small, wooden building burst with impact, and it flew down the twenty or so feet, almost crushing a few spectators. When the dust cleared, they could see Zacharias stirring slightly under piles of wood, and Professor McGonagall was beside herself with fury.

"You're my hero, Ginny!" shouted Emily as the former joined her team in the air.

"Well, that was fun," said Matt, who had removed his hat and wiped his forehead, "What say we go get that mail we neglected to open earlier, eh?"

So, the group headed for the Great Hall. However, they saw about two dozen students grouped around the entrance, many of them laughing, some looking worried.

"What's going on?" asked Matt.

"Someone's been sent a Howler," replied a Gryffindor Fourth Year, "And they haven't opened it yet."

"Oh, shit..." said Steffen, "It must be one of us."

"Not me, my parents don't know how to use Magical Mail," said Matt.

"Mine wouldn't send me a Howler, they'd just be like, 'Oh, whatever,'" said Emily.

"... Gah..." muttered Steffen, walking in. However, they were surprised to see it was addressed to the three of them, and it was from not only their parents, but some of the Salem teachers as well. It had swelled up like a balloon, and was smoking heavily at the corners.

"She's gonna blow," muttered Matt.

"I got it," said Emily, taking out her wand, "Diffindo."

The envelope had a tear come right across the middle, and the envelope exploded. In an instant, the group of students, especially Emily, Steffen, and Matt, were awash in not just one person's screaming, but innumerable. The teens' parents all were shouting their frustration in the sense that they had gone to England without telling them about Voldemort, they could hear Mr. Torrence complaining loudly about how their leaving had caused a scandal, and Mrs. Krenchaw could be heard screaming about assignments Emily and Steffen had left. Among a few other unrecognizable voices (which, apparently, were from American Wizarding Authorities), they could also pick out Mr. Ching's voice for some strange reason, and Chris and Becca, younger siblings of Matt and Steffen, respectively. For another five minutes, the jumbled words and shouts and insults rang throughout the halls, drawing a growing number of students. Near the end, it seemed to get exhausted and got all squeaky, and then just abruptly exploded in a rather comical fashion. After a silent two minutes, the crowd dispersed, just as the triumphant Gryffindor team entered.

"Well, that was gay," said Steffen, staring at what remained of their letter (the explosion had taken a large chunk out of the Slytherin table).

"I didn't think Mom and Dad really cared that much," said Emily.

"We can't go home until the end of the year. They'll never forgive us," said Matt.

"I know... and there's no chance of us going back to Salem, they'll kill us," said Emily.

"I wonder why Mr. Ching was so furious," said Matt, thoughtfully.

"I'm going to kill Becca. I'm going to send her a freakin' Venomous Tentacula and pray it strangles her," said Steffen angrily.

"Calm down, dear, let's just go get some homework done, okay?" suggested Emily.

Compared to the other past two months, November, with the exception of the first two days, was rather dull. The Americans attended two more parties (to their increasing dismay), and they began to fit things around for the second Inter-House Quidditch Match, which would take place on November the Sixteenth. Soon, Matt found two members of Salazar's Finest were borderline-ineligible, and William Kaylo was failing Divination. After talking with all three students, the surly Slytherins promised to force their grades up and William dropped out of Divination.

So, like the first time, Matt called all the Captains to the Great Hall the weekend before the game. They stood, glaring at each other, while Matt re-did the parchment spell in order to choose names. The first two were pulled: Random Insanity would play against Almighty. Zacharias and his now-eligible team all roared with laughter at the assignment while Ginny stood in front of her team, arms crossed, glaring daggers at the uppity boys.

Then came the next game: The Seniors versus The Superior Seven. Like before, Cormac leered haughtily at his opponents before leading his team off to their tactfully-scheduled practice. Mandy and company didn't leave, but sat at a table and began to converse quietly about the tactics they would use.

When the next two teams, Hogwarts Hotties and Sanchez's Flying Burritos, were shuffled out, Emily let out a maniacal laugh that scared Prudence right out of her seat. But the other girls wouldn't be intimidated, and merely stuck up their noses and strode out of the room. The rest of the team was also grinning maliciously. It was going to be a slaughter.

The next team to be called was Helga's Hell-Raisers, and then Flower Power. The young girls swarmed around Isabel and Rachel, who lead them out of their room to report to their own practice. The Hell-Raisers looked relieved: easy win there. However, Steffen and Emily weren't too sure about that, seeing as the young witches and wizards were doing pretty darn well for kids who had just learned to fly.

That, of course, left Intransigence to play Salazar's Finest. Jo looked a little conflicted at first, but Adrianna spoke quietly to her and she merely nodded and joined the other girls for their practice. A few on the other team glared after her, though none said anything. From what the Americans heard, Jo commanded a certain respect from Slytherins due to her elder brother or something, so no one could openly admit to hating her.

"Okay, everyone, we've got one week to prepare. All practices are scheduled and ready to go, so let's get out there and play some Quidditch!" Emily said, and the team left to do their practice over the lake.

Lessons not-withstanding, it was a very beautiful and fun week. The Burrito's Chasers seemed to really get into their stride as they passed and formed intricate patters in the air, always making sure not to hurt each other as they flew with their arms nearly touching. Steffen and Shailagh took out all their daily fury on the Bludgers, sometimes wounding their targets (Matt and Lisa had bruises all over by Friday and Jose had broken his wrist on Tuesday). Mateo was the only weak link, his goal-keeping not quite up to par with what Emily had in mind, but the Chasers were so good that once they got the Quaffle away, it would be hard to stop them.

Emily commanded them through drills and tests and all sorts of other things. It didn't take long for her to spot her teams' problems and rectify them, though Mateo proved a small challenge. It was hard to give him constructive criticism because he took everything too seriously. Normally, Emily would have snapped at him and told him to lighten up, but as time was of the essence, she tried to find a way around it. Her own performance had drastically improved as well; her new record for catching the Snitch was eight minutes in perfect conditions.

The Saturday of the game dawned upon them, rainy and windy, though not to the point of being unable to see. The crowd that assembled for the day was small and broken, many clutching cloaks to their backs and umbrellas in their hands. The first game was about to begin, and that left Rebecca to be doing the commentating by herself in the podium at first.

Almighty immediately put up a strong front, making three attempts on the goal in five minutes. Each time, however, Renee blocked the shot. She had made a huge improvement, the fruits of relentless training she had pushed herself through over the past month. Her face shone brightly with the sweat as Zacharias failed yet again to put a shot through. Then, in a very anti-climatic end to the game, Ginny and James found themselves locked in a furious bid for the Snitch. Ginny was hit on two ends by opposing teammates, but still made a furious attempt to get the Snitch. She dodged a bludger, which rolled her severely off-course. James, unfortunately, got the Snitch before she could fully recover, although Madam Hooch awarded Random Insanity two penalty shots (both of which were taken by Lillian, and of which one was made). Most of the crowd snarled as Almighty left the field, slowly followed by the defeated Random Insanity.

This match was closely followed by a slightly more interesting. The rain had not intensified much, but the wind had started to howl. This was of little consequence to the Sixth and Seventh years on The Superior Seven and Seniors, respectively. Blaine took the Quaffle, but immediately dropped due to a Bludger being aimed his way. But when Marcus Belby took it back, he was hit hard by a Bludger from Jack, and was taken out of the game for the duration. Down a Chaser in the first ten minutes, the Seniors began to use the dirtiest tactics possible, yet keeping in the rules of Quidditch.

Maria took the Quaffle, and, with another Bludger-by-Jack, was forced to drop it. When Padma picked it up, however, Daren slammed into her with enough force to knock the wind out of her. She was awarded a penalty shot, which Cormac missed. This put the Superior Seven on the board, leaving the Seniors even more aggravated. The favor was returned when Dakota hit Daren in the back of the head with his bat. Maria put the Quaffle away, though it was a very close shot.

In fact, the game began to get so dirty that only one more shot was made, the score being twenty to ten. Nearly everyone on either team, except the Keepers, had committed a foul, Jack having hit Daren eight times for nearly killing Melody when he knocked her off her broom. Through a furious deluge of foul shots, both Mandy and Cormac proved their worth, not letting anything through. Madam Hooch, on the other hand, was blocking her emotions with great difficulty. It was obvious to all that she was sick of the fighting and arguing, and looked ready to blow her whistle when Rebecca interrupted.

"And Melody Moon and Cho Chang are neck-and-neck, diving for the Snitch that seems to be fluttering around the bottom of the posts of The Seniors!" called the First Year from the podium, a pair of binoculars covering most of her tiny face.

The girls dove at the Snitch, weaving in and out of the other players as they soared around. Then, out of nowhere, a Bludger cracked into the side of Cho's head. She was only about twenty feet off the ground, and she fell, her broomstick continuing on without her. Madam Hooch slowed her body's decent, and she lay unconscious on the field. Meanwhile, Melody kept on the Snitch, though it took her over another minute of dodging and weaving and avoiding the Seniors before she finally clasped a hand on it, giving The Superior Seven the victory. Cormac, of course, was furious and shouted himself hoarse before Madam Hooch kicked them off the field (Maria had already taken Cho to the Hospital Wing).

Now the Burritos walked onto the field. Matt, Emily, Steffen, Shailagh, Jose, Mateo, and Lisa took their places in the start, while the Hogwarts Hotties performed a full-length, intricate, and well-done cheerleading routine to the song "Belly-dancer" before finally mounting their brooms and joining their adversaries twenty feet above the Pitch. Emily made it obvious that when she shook Bridget's hand, it was with as much loathing as possible. Then the game began.

Matt took the Quaffle and shot it right past Gertrude before she could even react. Jose tried to follow suit, but the girl had finally understood the process of blocking the small red ball, and knocked it away. As Parvati began to go up the Pitch, Shailagh came crashing out of nowhere and slammed almost on-top of her, a display carried over from the previous day's Divination and a comment Parvati had made about the Seer. Madam Hooch stopped the game, warned to keep it clean, and let the Gryffindor shoot her penalty, which Mateo missed by no less than three feet.

"Focus, Mateo," called Emily as the young Spanish boy hung his head in shame.

"And the Hotties get possession again. Lavender Brown soars towards the goal… and… Mateo Martine makes a save!" called Rebecca.

"Just like that!" called Emily, her eyes moving very quickly to search for the Snitch.

That was the beginning of a much unexpected turn of events. Compared to their pathetic performance in the first game, the Hotties really put it to the Burritos. In the span of half an hour, they had scored fifty goals, yet managing to keep the Burritos at only thirty. Lisa scored again, and then Parvati got hit on the arm by a Bludger-via-Steffen, who had been aiming for Bridget's face (but the wind had knocked it slightly off course). Matt put another goal away, and the score increased to fifty-forty.

"And as the game progresses to the forty-five minute mark," Rebecca said, "The sun finally makes an appearance."

"It's just like on that one book!" came the enthusiastic voice of Luna, who had joined her friend in the podium "… well, except, I can't remember the name. Or the author. Or what happened. Or even if it's translated to English. But it's still kinda pretty, don't you think?"

"Indeed," said Rebecca.

Finally, when the score had made it to seventy-fifty, Emily spotted the Snitch. The problem was, so did Romilda. This sent both girls into a frenzy to get the Snitch, bringing them neck-and-neck as they rounded the sharp corner of the stadium. Romilda snarled at Emily, and scratched her, drawing some blood. Emily returned the favor by slamming the Fourth Year into the wood, causing a squeal of pain to come from her. Then, Romilda pulled ahead as Emily was kicked in the ribs. It looked all over, but Romilda caught sight of Harry and over-shot the Snitch, which doubled back, shooting right into Emily's hand. Despite the whistle from Madam Hooch, she slammed, full-speed, into Romilda, who was thrown clean off her broom and into the stands, into the waiting arms of the Almighty team.

"And the Burritos win!" called Rebecca gleefully over the intercom.

"But first, two penalty shots…" said Luna, "Both of which are made. Final score is… seventy to two-hundred-ten, in favor of the Flying Burritos!"

"That was closer than I ever want to think," said Matt, looking shocked, "They've gotten better."

"Yeah, but we still slaughtered them!" Steffen said, as the crowd cheered and jeered (the Hotties had already left the field in tears again).

"I don't want to think about losing to Bridget O'Riley," said Emily with more than just a hint of snarling, "It's like losing to Flower Power!"

"Speaking of which," said Mateo, who was looking behind them, "They're about to play the Hell-Raisers."

"This should be good," said Jose, smirking.

"Hey… I'm gonna go," said Lisa, with a glance to Jose, "I gotta start my… Charms essay!"

"Oh, crap, so do I!" said Jose, "Never mind, I'm sure the Hell-Raisers will win anyway. See you guys later!"

"Bye!" Matt said, turning to watch the game begin.

It was another short game, though with one team being supreme to the other. Flower Power had really been working on their Chasers, and it showed. Through the slight wind and fog and rain, you could pick up the pink dots speeding around the Pitch, though with a little less grace than the Hotties could manage. In the short ½ hour game, they scored five times, while Keeper Eileen proved she could stop goals from Sixth Years as she pulled off six spectacular saves.

But, just as Eileen caught the Quaffle for the thirteenth time, Luna turned the attention of the crowd to Rachel and Jacob, who were both furiously clawing at the Snitch. They had gone by unnoticed for some reason, while the small girl and large teen boy did their hardest to attach their fingers to the Snitch. In the end, it was a simple gust of wind that decided the match.

"And Jacob Shores of Helga's Hell-Raisers gets the Snitch!" said Rebecca, sounding very disappointed. As the Hell-Raisers did a lap of victory to tremendous applause, Flower Power left the field, looking dejected.

"And our final game of the day, starting at three in the afternoon," said Rebecca, "Intransigence versus Salazar's Finest!"

The girls in the blue uniforms soared out as Salazar's Finest, complete with robes that rivaled those worn by the Slytherin House, flew in from the other side. They performed a traditional warm-up lap before meeting in the center. And, in a complete reverse of what normally happened, it was the Slytherin Captain Yancy who had his hand crushed by Adrianna.

"And the game begins with Salazar's Finest taking the Quaffle," said Rebecca, "It's Ken with the Quaffle, soaring up the Pitch… dodging Adrianna Reynolds and Quinn… and it is stopped by Manuela Jackson!"

The crowd erupted into cheers as Manuela thrust a fist into the air while holding on to the Quaffle. But Esme came up from behind and punched it out of her arm (leaving a large bruise on her arm), and took it around in another attempt to score. With her injured arm vibrating with pain, Manuela was powerless to stop it, and they scored.

It was a shock when Jo Hammet slammed herself bodily into Esme, nearly chucking her from her broom. The two girls engaged in a furious fistfight on their brooms, which was won by the stronger and more agile Jo. Madam Hooch was beside herself with fury and ordered both girls to leave the stadium immediately. She then ordered a penalty shot per team, plus one that had been committed on Intransigence's Seeker, Isis. But then everyone realized what had happened: during the fight, Isis had caught the Snitch when Vince had been hit hard by a Bludger that Jo had angrily sent his way seconds beforehand. So, ending another game in anti-climax, Intransigence met in the center of the field and sank to the ground in a many-armed hug.

"And with a violent day drawing to a close, the second of eight Inter-House Quidditch days end," said Rebecca over the intercom.

"Madam Hooch looks angry," said Luna's voice, "I think she's trying to get Matt's attention."

Indeed, Madam Hooch was beckoning to not only Matt, but to his friends as well. She met them on the field, looking furious.

"I have never seen such dirty playing as I have seen today," she roared, "I never, _ever_, want to see this again. Do I make myself clear? If this happens again, I'll cancel this league, you see if I don't!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Matt, quickly, "I'll be sure to tell the others."

Later, as the group made their way into the castle amid many other people's chatter, they were reminded of the amount of homework they had been assigned, particularly in Transfiguration and, in Matt's case, History of Magic. The others agreed to return to their dorms, change, and meet up at the Great Hall. Once this was accomplished, the Americans, along with Shailagh, proceeded to the Library (Lisa and Jose hadn't been seen most of the afternoon and Mateo was going to work on Herbology with a few other friends from Hufflepuff).

As the group entered the Library, they headed straight for their normal table. Shailagh suddenly gasped, looking a little scared. Emily and Steffen stopped, but Matt kept going. He rounded the corner and then froze. Emily and Steffen joined him at the edge of the row of library books, and Shailagh brought up the rear. The sight that met the teens' eyes brought a surge of anger to Emily and Steffen, and slight confusion to Matt.

Lisa and Jose were sitting with each other, locked at the lips. Their hands were interwoven over a piece of Charms homework, and the expressions on their face equaled to that of Matt's when he was involved with a Daydream Charm. For a moment, there was silence, and then Emily snarled. The two at the table jumped and looked around, Lisa blushing furious. Matt stood there, mouth agape, and then closed it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" snarled Emily.

"I… I…" Lisa stuttered.

"It's alright," said Matt, smiling slightly, a look on his face that was, if anything, relieved, "I knew this was going on."

"You… you knew?" said Steffen.

"Of course. You would notice if your girlfriend was starting to spend less time with you and more time with someone else," said Matt, looking happy, "And… this saves me the trouble of breaking up with you, Lisa, since I didn't think we were really meant for each other after all."

"Matt… I… I swear I didn't mean to," said Lisa, looking flushed. Emily still glared at her as though she wanted to rip her head, beret in all, in half.

"I… we… we never went that far," Jose assured him, "I swear on my fathers' grave. We never… you know… kissed."

"I know. And apparently you guys don't get it. I'm perfectly fine with this," said Matt, smiling. There was about a minutes' awkward silence, before Matt shrugged, turned, and left to find a book to do his Transfiguration paper on. Emily and Steffen glared at Lisa and Jose for a minute before following, and Shailagh sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"He must be the luckiest guy with relationships in this school. Two girls without break-ups…"

**From The Author's Mind:**

**snore …. Eh? Oh, sorry, I dozed off. Feel free to review! Please!**


	8. Ch 8: Modern Magic, Part 1

**From the Author's Mind:**

**This chapter was party inspired from a Spirit Week thing we had at our school, which was good because it gave me a reason for the rest of the chapter to happen. Anyway, enjoy reading it. And review! Review, review, review!**

Chapter Eight: Modern Magic, Part One

That following Monday, Matt had a meeting with all the captains, and made it very clear that he was not impressed with the violence that had gone on previously. Many were properly ashamed, although Matt remained worried about Salazar's Finest (Yancy had merely glared at him as he spoke, making it clear he didn't like wasting his time with Matt). But the message seemed to go across, because there were no more reports of violence between the different teams. Leastwise, none that reached Matt's ears.

So, November returned to its boring pace. Go to lessons, do homework, go to Quidditch practice, go to bed. Go to lessons, do homework, go to Quidditch practice, go to bed. Lessons, homework, practice, sleep. For two agonizing weeks, the monotony of the days became almost too much to bear. The most interesting thing that happened in the Americans' lives was Matt's continuing disasters in Potions and a slight argument that broke out over the Seniors and Superior Seven of Pitch rights (which was immediately nixed when Hufflepuff House declared they needed to book it for practice).

By the end of November, the Americans were so bored that they entered a lethargic state that basically destroyed their moods. Lessons became even more of a nightmare, Quidditch practice lost most of its enjoyment, and the homework caused a daily migraine. Emily was completely sick of it. Then, Wednesday night while she, Steffen, and Matt looked up a few more advanced Elemental spells for Flitwick (they had conquered Water, Air, and Earth and had moved into Fire), she came upon a spell that was often employed by Professor McGonagall when she had to make a school-wide announcement.

"I should start interrupting the lessons like that," Emily said, seeing that the spell itself wasn't too terribly difficult for her.

"No, do Dance Day, like we had for Spirit Week when we were at Athens for those few days," said Matt, chuckling.

"Yeah, play the Chicken Dance or something," Steffen said, making the little stick figures he'd drawn on his paper kill each other.

"You know what… I think that's a damn good idea," said Emily, laughing at the thought of what her teachers would say, "Starting with tomorrow morning."

"You're gonna do it?" Matt asked, looking up from his large book.

"Damn straight," said Emily with a mischievous grin.

"I am thrilled," said Snape sarcastically the next morning, "That you have all progressed to being able to do difficult spells silently. It shows that you are all fine wizards and witches and will actually make something of yourselves someday."

No one answered him. Many were still too lethargic to answer, though there were six people in the room that were anything but. Emily, Matt, Steffen, Lisa, Jose, and Shailagh were positively quivering with anticipation. It wouldn't be long now before Operation Train began.

"Since I know I've pushed you past your moronic brain levels which allow you to silently cast spells," said Snape with a cold smirk, "I have decided we will piece together all that you have learned over the past five years… excluding Year Five, since I'm sure none of you found any of that garbage useful."

It was one of the few times the Americans would ever agree with Snape. If they had learned anything from Professor Umbridge, it was that it was possible to wear too much pink, something Bridget had loudly assured Emily's entire dorm room the night before. But as the period wore on, Emily wondered if the whole thing would be a bust.

She and Steffen had left their common rooms early that morning, carrying only a single textbook and their wands. They had proceeded to the third floor corridor, the one no one ever used. It was secluded from the school, having been off-limits to all students five years previous, and it seemed Filch had no longer deemed it necessary to clean. Inside, however, was a broom cupboard, the perfect hiding place for the book.

Emily had proceeded to cast a few intricate spells on the book. First, she would cast a spell that played music from the pages. Then, she added the newly-discovered spell that would broadcast it to the whole school. Finally, she tuned it so that it would play at certain points throughout the day, which she smiled fondly at as she and Steffen left for breakfast.

Now, as she waited for Snape to continue his daily rantings, she hoped her spell craft was as powerful as Professor Flitwick had said it was when she started an inferno that destroyed two desks in the Charms classroom before it could be rectified. When Snape drew in a breath, everyone could hear it. A faint train whistle, followed by a chugging sound. Within seconds, the music began: the Train song had begun. For the first ten seconds of the song, everyone stared, and, almost at once, everyone laughed, stood up, and formed a line that stretched around the classroom. Only two people hadn't joined, Hermione Granger and Snape himself, both of whom looked scandalized.

"What is wrong with you all!" roared Snape furiously, wondering himself where the music had come from.

"It's the Train song! We must dance!" said Matt, who was sixth in line (Blaine and Dakota had taken the liberty of leading the train out of the room, and it was going fast.)

"See you tomorrow, Professor!" cackled Steffen as he and Emily caught the tail end of the train as it left the room.

"Get back here this instant!" shouted Snape, who was ignored. Hermione gave a frightened squeak, and then hurried off to catch the train of students. She muttered something about getting put in detention for a year, but joined the dancing with her hands on Ron's shoulders.

The train wound its way around the corridors, passing and being passed by trains with all sorts of people. When the one from Defense Against the Dark Arts had attracted about one hundred people, they spilled out onto the grounds. The music echoed on the surrounding hills, and much of the train broke apart and went their separate ways. A little bit later, the song ended, but no one paid that any attention. Many continued to chug around the castle, many singing. The bell to end the second period rang, and many people returned to their classrooms to collect books and go to lunch.

"Part one a success!" said Emily enthusiastically as she, Matt, Steffen, and Shailagh took seats at the Ravenclaw table. There were still a few people dancing around, though these were few and far between.

"Emily, you are a goddess," said Matt, "I bow to your superiority."

"What else have you got on the list?" asked Melody enthusiastically.

"Oh… just a few things," said Emily, grinning.

"What are they, Shailagh?" asked a very interested Dakota.

"Hm. Good question," said Shailagh, sharing Emily's evil smirk.

When lunch was over, the Fifth Years reported to Potions. This time, Slughorn had barely time to take attendance before the Chicken Dance began. The entire classroom, except for the horrified Slytherins, immediately began to dance around their cauldrons, laughing hysterically as they did so. Even Professor Slughorn joined in once he could pull himself out of the chair.

When Emily and Steffen went to Herbology and Matt went to Divination, the spell seemed to go slightly haywire, as it started sprouting random songs. Some were from American artists, some were from Britain, and nearly every genre was played. For the first half of their Herbology Lesson, and all of Divination, everyone would move and groove to certain selections of songs. By the time Matt went to History of Magic, the book had even begun announcing the next songs, almost as a radio announce would.

"This is not good," said Emily with the grin she'd had on all day, "If it starts playing rap, I'm going to go into a seizure."

But, it didn't. The book announced that it was taking a break for the next period, to the dismay of many. But that didn't last long. When it was almost over, Cotton-Eye Joe began to play, and everyone dropped their tools (or quills, in Matt's case) and began to dance to the only "redneck" song the Americans could stand.

However, when the group reported to Charms, there was no music. For most of the period, while Flitwick explained proper fire control, they waited for a song. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, wondering what disruption would happen next. Finally, their questions were answered, but not in the form of a song. The door burst open and Filch stood in the doorway, his hand clasped over the old History of Magic book Emily had used. The Americans' blood ran cold.

"Well, well, well…" said Filch, smirking, "We are in trouble now, aren't we?"

"Oh, clever," said Lisa loudly, "Way to be original, Filch."

"Silence!" snarled Filch, "Professor Flitwick, it is my duty to take these three to the Headmasters' office."

"Whatever for, Argus?" asked Flitwick, oblivious to his stack of books being slowly engulfed in flames beneath him.

"This," said Filch, thrusting the book out for all to see, "Is what has been interrupting classes today."

"Crap…" muttered Matt.

"Matt didn't have anything to do with it," said Emily.

"Only Emily and I," added Steffen, both shooting apologetic looks at Matt.

"My orders are to bring all of you," said Filch wheezily.

"It's fine. Professor, do we have any homework?" Matt asked.

"No…" said Professor Flitwick, finally realizing his toes were on fire.

"Come," said Filch, leading them from the classroom.

They proceeded down the corridor, Filch laughing silently to himself. None of the Americans spoke, or even looked at each other. It was going to be a rough evening, and they knew it. Their footsteps echoed off the silent halls, punctured only by the occasional rustling of a small mammal or a student, darting out of Filch's way. They passed a few they knew: Rachel, who was helping a fellow classmate to the Hospital Wing; Luna Lovegood, who looked up over her issue of _The Quibbler_ in surprise; Bridget O'Riley, who was skipping Charms and hanging out with a few other girls; Maria Martine and Marcus Belby, who both looked up from their difficult Transfiguration homework as the Americans walked by; and a few assorted First Years from Flower Power, who were copying each others' Charms notes.

"Oh… if only you'd done this last year," said Filch wishfully, "Then I could use the whips."

"Why? What's going to happen to us now?" asked Matt.

"Whatever Professor Dumbledore sees fit," said Filch.

"Dumbledore's back?" said Steffen, who had not seen the Headmaster in quite some time.

"Oh, don't get too excited, child," said Filch with another smirk, "He's got the Heads of House with him, you see."

"No…" muttered Matt.

"Oh yes. I do believe you know how this will turn out… well, here we are," said Filch. The gargoyle sprang to life as Filch gave the password, and the Americans walked to the spiral staircase, which began to rotate them to the top of the platform.

"So, let's look at our situation," said Matt, trying to remain calm, "We have disrupted lessons, probably annoying many teachers. Now we face the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress, and three of said teachers."

"Well, Dumbledore won't be a problem. He'll probably think it was funny," said Emily.

"Snape is gonna suck," said Steffen, "He'll be pressing our expulsion papers into Dumbledore's hands."

"Sinistra won't be too terrible on us, she knows we wouldn't do this to draw attention to ourselves," said Matt.

"What about Sprout?" asked Emily, "She hates us. And McGonagall hates rule-breakers. So it looks like we've got two who would love to see us in trouble, one who is psychotic about rules, and two who might let us get off this time."

"The odds are not very good," agreed Steffen, "But we can always plead the… Fifth?"

"We're not in America anymore. That doesn't work on these guys," said Matt, who remembered Professor Umbridge and her class with a surge of rage.

"Damn," said Steffen.

They opened the door and took a step in. The Heads of House and Professor Dumbledore were grouped around the desk, examining the book that had somehow appeared there. None of them looked up as the three Americans took seats across from Professor Dumbledore.

Matt cleared his throat involuntarily. All three looked up. Their suspicions seemed to be reflected in their looks. Professors Sprout and Snape looked at them with eyes narrowed, Professor Sinistra was biting her lip, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was a thin line. Only Dumbledore wore an expressionless face, his eyes peering over his nose.

"Ah… hello Miss Davis, Mr. Jett, Mr. Warren…" said Dumbledore, "I trust you know why you are here?"

There was no point in lying. If they were going to save face, they might as well tell them the truth. If they lied, it would only continue to lower the respect rating the teachers had for them at this point.

"Yes, sir," said Matt, "Because we planted that music book and disrupted classes."

"Which you had nothing to do with," reminded Emily.

"I came up with the idea," Matt pointed out.

"But you didn't make us do it," retorted Steffen.

"Enough!" Snape said, "You are here as a disciplinary action. The disruption of classes is prohibited, and is a very serious distraction to the learning process."

"Quite right," agreed Professor Sprout, "I had a Second Year nearly lose her left thumb because of that music. Since none of you have ever dealt with Mandrakes, I don't expect you to realize how horribly their bites hurt."

"Please, Professors," Matt said, "We meant no harm."

"Then why would you plant such a device?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's been relatively quiet around here," said Steffen.

"Which is a nice change," muttered Professor Sprout.

Ignoring her, Steffen continued, "Well, it's boring. I'm sure you've noticed: no one is paying attention in class, grades are falling, and people are _bored_. There have been no Quidditch matches, no holidays, and no breaks. It's been a nightmare for us, our classmates, and the entire school in general. You can't tell me that a few of the teachers haven't felt this way, too."

There was a silence. When no one spoke, Emily picked up the story from there.

"In Athens, we had this Spirit Week thing, which was pretty asinine, actually, but there was one day in particular, Dance Day, that was marginally enjoyable," she said.

"But this is not Athens," pointed out Snape, "You are not in America, and therefore you have different… privileges than in your Muggle classrooms."

Emily pretended she had not heard anything. "Anyway, we figured that since it was marginally fun for us, the ones with virtually no school spirit, it would be a nice way to snap people out of this lethargy, the best way for them to unwind. A break in the routine."

"But why not do this after classes?" asked Professor McGonagall, "Maybe before or after lunch?"

"… I guess we really didn't think that through," said Matt.

"No, you didn't," said Snape, "And now we have injured students all over the school because the music made them screw up even worse than—"

"Unless I'm mistaken, only Kassie Thompson was injured today," said Dumbledore quietly, his eyes shining. Instantly, the Americans knew they were off the hook.

"But we've been disrupted…" began Snape furiously.

"… with no actual harm," interrupted Professor Sinistra, "And Mandrake bites are not life-threatening."

"Nevertheless," said Professor McGonagall, "We cannot encourage this behavior. I'm afraid each of you will lose thirty house points and receive detentions for December Seventh."

"Are you serious? That's the day of the second Quidditch Match!" Steffen gasped angrily.

"Oh, quite serious, Mr. Jett," replied Professor Snape, "If it pleases the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, I'd like to have them for the detention. They have plenty of work to make up for in Defense Against the Dark Arts from this little… excursion."

"I don't see why not," said Professor McGonagall, "Severus, if you insist, you may deal with them."

"Then it's settled," said Professor Dumbledore simply, "I would like to speak with the Americans alone. If you all would be so kind…"

"Of course, Headmaster," said Professor Sinistra, leaving the room with Professor McGonagall. Professors Sprout and Snape leered triumphantly at the Americans before following.

"This sucks," said Emily flatly, "Thirty house points… sixty for Ravenclaw."

"Crap! I didn't think of that," said Steffen.

Matt didn't say anything. He was very pale and looked upset. It was clear that he was wondering how the rest of the Ravenclaw would react when they found out how many house points they'd lost.

"Well, this has been a very interesting turn of events today," said Professor Dumbledore fairly, "I trust you all have learned a valuable lesson?"

"We certainly have," said Matt, "Never interrupt Snape's class or he kill you!"

"Yes, well," said Professor Dumbledore with a slight chuckle, "You probably only had to talk to anyone from Gryffindor to learn this."

"It was worth it," said Emily after a brief pause, "I don't care what anyone says, that was some of the most fun I've had in forever."

"Yes, it certainly broke the obvious monotony," replied Professor Dumbledore, "Well, I just figured I'd see how you were enjoying Hogwarts this year. Do you have any regrets about leaving Salem?"

"None at all," said Matt, "That place was a nightmare."

"I agree," said Steffen, "I'm glad I had the opportunity to come here."

"Aren't there any other schools in America to go to?" grumbled Emily.

"Several," said Dumbledore, smiling benignly, "Though Salem is the most famous, and it's a pity it's become so run-down. But there's many more. Eastern Magical Institute is in a small town in Virginia, there's Lady Shandra Academy in Miami, Florida… they specialize in Seers I believe…"

"Should mention that to Shailagh," said Steffen.

"Yes, Ms. Hacker does seem to have a knack for that. One that our Divination program, sadly, does not nurture…" said Professor Dumbledore, "Western Magical Institute sits secluded in Albuquerque, New Mexico… oh, there's Seaside Academy near Seattle… there's one in Iowa, but I forget the name… oh, and one in Salt Lake City."

"Which of those is the best?" asked Emily.

"Seaside has a beautiful campus and some very talented teachers," said Dumbledore, "It's a tad more expensive than, say, and the Institutes, but it's worth it."

"Wait, why are you telling us this?" asked Steffen.

"It almost sounds like you want us to go to one of those instead…" said Emily.

"Well, I don't imagine your parents will let you leave America ever again after this year, so…" said Dumbledore.

"Point taken," said Emily, slightly sadly. It sounded like this would be the last year they were at Hogwarts.

"Oh no! Professor, I have to go, I've got a big Transfiguration Test tomorrow…" Matt said.

"Ack! I forgot about that!" Emily said, eyes bugging, "What have we been learning about again?"

"Ah… the joys of pre-human Transfiguration," said Dumbledore, smiling, "Well, before you go, here… have this book I found."

"Modern Magic," said Matt, taking the huge, heavy book from the Headmaster, "What's it about?"

"I'm not sure," said Dumbledore, pleasantly, "I haven't had time to read it. But I must be off, plenty of work to do."

"Thank you… I think," said Emily, "Let's go, Transfiguration time starts now."

"Good evening!" said Professor Dumbledore, waving to them with his mutilated hand.

"What is in this book?" asked Emily, staring at the gigantic book on the desk. The Americans had been joined by Lisa, Jose, Mateo, Shailagh, Lillian, and the Smith twins, who were going to help cram.

"Modern Magic, eh?" said Nate, lifting the book up with both hands and opening it, "I wonder what kind of magic is hidden here…"

"I wonder if there are any pictures," said Lillian, "Check!"

"No… just billions of words," said Nate, flipping through the heavy pages, "I mean literally, they've covered every square centimeter of this book."

"That's weird. Who would write a book that big?" asked Rachel.

"I don't know, but we had better get started," said Lisa, eying the large amount of Transfiguration notes that sat beside her.

"Hmm…" Emily said, opening the book. She flipped through the first few pages, trying to read bits of it. But the introduction went on for twenty-three pages, and it seemed to be the author complaining about how older magic was so difficult, with strange incantations and such.

"How is it?" Steffen asked after she slammed the book shut.

"Horrible. I can't understand a word this moron is saying," said Emily, "He just complains about how _Wingardium Leviosa_ should be changed to "_Levitate_!" and stuff. It's sad."

"Emily, pay attention. How do you change your eyebrows to face the other way?" snapped Matt.

"Hell if I know," said Emily.

That night, Emily gave the book to Matt and Steffen, who were both so sick of studying that they didn't even open it. They tucked it back into Matt's bookcase and it was not thought of again for quite some time.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Okay! Chapter 8 done! Yay! Now please review, tell me what I can improve upon and stuff.**


	9. Ch 9: Mid Terms

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Before you get in a tizzy because Hogwarts suddenly has mid-terms, I want to explain myself. I'll be damned if I'm doing a 150+ page HP Fanfic and NOT having exams. Blame Rowling for her lack of in-book exams for these mid-terms! I had fun writing them, though . So I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter Nine: Mid-Terms

The next day, Matt, Emily, Steffen, Shailagh, Lillian, and Jose all reported to Care of Magical Creatures first thing in the morning. The Fifth Years were currently in class, but the Sixth Years who had showed up were going to play with their little gryphons. In fact, the gryphons weren't that little anymore. They were almost four feet long and stood two-and-a-half feet at the shoulder. But they were certainly getting into their personalities.

Ryzalp, Emily's golden gryphon, enjoyed nothing more than having a good run around the corral, and the occasional fight. She was slightly territorial, but also a good friend. If another gryphon was hurt, she would do her best to help the injured animal get back on their feet.

Hyro, Steffen's mostly-black gryphon, enjoyed nothing more than having a good fight with the other males. He was very, very territorial, especially when it came to Ryzalp, whom he had taken a liking to. Also, he was a very picky eater, and the only types of meat he would eat were rare steaks and bacon.

Katrina, Matt's silver-calico gryphon, enjoyed nothing more than being a complete spaz. She seemed to be an impulse eater, runner, sleeper, drinker, and, well, pretty much anything else. She loved milk, much like her master, and was very fast, though clumsy. When the gryphons raced, she'd be in first for a while, but usually tripped and caused a many-gryphon pile-up.

This day was a fun one as they were working on agility and basic intelligence. They weren't going to start strict training until the next year, and this was mainly to amuse the young animals. They cantered about the basic agility track they had (Katrina tripped over six of the seven tires and nearly ran over Hyro when she literally got herself stuck and rolling in one), and then they moved to basic matching of memory. Everyone did fine in that aspect, but Ryzalp was definitely the smartest of the lot.

Right after lunch, the Sixth Years found themselves in a horribly difficult Transfiguration exam. Almost fifty written questions in forty-five minutes was not easy, especially when you had to explain difficult spells. Matt was focused on getting a perfect grade, and had resolved himself to earn back those thirty points they'd lost. Emily and Steffen both did relatively okay, although they hadn't expected to be so in-depth with their answers.

"That was ridiculous," said Steffen, "We better not have to do that again until our Exams…"

"Which are in June, thankfully," said Matt.

"Don't be so sure of that," said a grim voice behind them.

"Heh?" asked Steffen.

"Come look at this," said Jose, who had left a large group of muttering Hufflepuffs, most of whom were grouped around a billboard outside the Great Hall.

"What's it say?" asked Steffen as the group approached.

**_ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS 3RD YEAR AND ABOVE:_**

_As many of you know, new Ministry guidelines regarding education have gone into effect with the new Minister of Magic. One of these, I regret to say, is Mid-Term examinations, which will be given in the following courses during the last week of Winter Term. The following classes: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Astronomy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Divination, Herbology, History of Magic, Muggle Studies, Potions, and Transfiguration will require all students 3rd year and above to partake in these mid-term examinations. Thank you for your co-operation._

_Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress_

"What!" gasped Steffen, "We have six mid-terms to study for in two weeks!"

"I have seven," snapped Matt, "And couldn't they just say 'every class but Care of Magical Creatures?'"

"This is shit," said Emily, "I don't believe this."

"Better get studying," said Jose sadly, "I'm going to find Lisa right now. We're going to have to concentrate on Defense Against the Dark Arts…"

The teachers seemed to have the opposite reaction. Many seemed to be okay with the mid-terms, Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and Slughorn actually sang praises to the new Minister for that. The only teacher who seemed to disapprove of these mid-terms was Professor Trelawney, but she hated tests of all sorts and was drunk now every other day, so that didn't matter much.

It was O.W.L.s all over again. The black market went back up, and people started buying everything from exam answers to brain stimulants to "discreet" Auto-Answer Quills. Emily could have shot Lillian after she bought "Madame Restoration's Brain Tonic," which cost six galleons and came from a Slytherin named Ester Maye. The potion turned out to be very, very salty water.

Meanwhile, all around the school, students were having panic attacks. First and Second Year students were very careful to avoid the Common Rooms and Library as much as possible since they "didn't understand what it was like to have mid-terms all of the sudden." Madam Pomfrey was kept busy with stress-related sicknesses, mainly from the Fifth and Sixth Years.

Hermione Granger was more furious than anyone else in the school. She had been given two weeks advanced notice. TWO WEEKS! How was anyone supposed to properly study in two weeks! She had reverted to Eternal PMS mode and was snapping at people for the stupidest reasons, such as sneezing and eating a marshmallow too loudly (which caused Emily to wish she had a gun for the second time in two days).

There was supposed to be an Inter-House game on December Fourteenth, but that was cancelled since that was the last week before the mid-terms. So, many teams put their practices on hiatus. Even Intransigence had ceased their five a.m. practices for the time being. The week before finals was brutal in the classes.

Snape drilled them repeatedly on silent spells and the new unit they were starting: dark creatures. It was clear that he had wanted to teach this "properly" to them. But he wouldn't take anything but his own answers, and if you disagreed with him, you usually lost house points. By the end of the week, many people were dreading this mid-term the most.

Professor Slughorn gave them a list of potions to practice and memorize components to. He said his tests were much harder than the ones in other classes. Many people groaned as Slughorn had yet to give them an actual written test. Emily and Steffen shared a quick glance, obviously preparing to study very difficultly for this test that weekend.

Professor Sprout gave them a review parchment for their Herbology Mid-term. It mainly consisted of any of the plants they'd been working on for the whole year, and included diagrams and proper watering techniques. It wasn't the first time both Americans had considered giving up the class entirely.

Meanwhile, in Divination, Matt and company were informed that their mid-term would cover everything they had learned so far, and included various other things from past years. They were also to record and decipher a dream, read from a crystal ball, and give a proper Tarot reading, which they had just recently begun to study.

In History of Magic, Matt actually returned to taking notes himself and not having the Quill do it for him. Professor Binns seemed to be rather pleased with the upcoming test, telling Matt that it would end the section of "forgotten histories," and introduce them to modern witches and wizards of the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Professor McGonagall seemed very worried about her N.E.W.T. class. For the most part, the simple human transfigurations were not going well, and only Hermione and Matt could do them near-perfectly. Emily and Steffen were okay, but there always seemed to be a major flaw (when Emily tried to change her nails to be made of steal, they fell off and sunflowers grew from them, and Steffen's attempts to change his hair color to purple ended with a large watermelon and two sets of razors).

Charms was going to be, arguably, one of the easiest exams. Professor Flitwick informed them that it would only be on Elemental Charms, since they had not gotten to Illusionary spells. As with Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Divination, there would be a written, then practical session, both of which would be averaged together.

Astronomy was another no-brainer. To save time, Professor Sinistra said there would only be a practical examination on the planets, moons, galaxies, and various constellations and their legends. It would be simple, as long as you studied where the moons would be at that stage during the exam.

Thankfully, they still had Care of Magical Creatures to unwind from. Seeing Hyro, Ryzalp, and Katrina quickly relieved the stress the Americans were feeling from the Mid-terms. But, when they left after their Friday lesson, they were lost in wave upon wave of notes and study materials, all waiting for Monday's first exam: Transfiguration.

The exams were divided up very strangely. For example, Monday's schedule consisted of the Transfiguration written exam in the morning, followed by the Muggle Studies written exam, then lunch, then the Transfiguration practical exam. When the Sixth Years taking Transfiguration reported to Professor McGonagall's room early Monday morning, they were shocked to see huge stacks of paper on their desks. Professor McGonagall had given them a twenty-page exam, which had to be completed in two hours.

Arguably, eight of those pages were just diagrams depicting how certain Transfiguration spells worked, and four were for the two long essays, but many people were psyched out and forced themselves to work very quickly because of it. Matt found many of the written questions easy, had trouble with one of the diagrams (the one about changing hair was a problem since he could only think about Steffen's hair incident), and he almost ran out of room for the essays. Emily did fine with the written exam, made up stuff for the diagrams, and took brave stabs at both of the essays. She was only sure about one, but that was okay. Steffen, on the other hand, had a somewhat difficult time with the questions, had virtually no idea on the diagrams, and only knew how to do the essay Emily didn't know.

They had the rest of the morning off while the Muggle Studies students sat their exam, and they spent most of this time practicing for the Transfiguration practical, which would take place after lunch. They finally rectified Steffen's mistake with his hair and, at two, they reported outside of Professor McGonagall's classroom once more. She called them in, one-by-one, and allowed them to do their five spells, which she would grade.

"Ms. Davis," said Professor McGonagall when Emily's name was called, "Conjure up for me, if you will, a small turtle."

"Right," said Emily, muttering the incantation and waving her wand. A shelled reptile appeared, but it was a tortoise.

"Well… you were close. Wrong species, but close none-the-less," said Professor McGonagall, "If you would please vanish it for me?"

"Yes," said Emily, making it disappear. Behind Professor McGonagall, a piece of the shell fell behind some books, but she didn't make any mention of it. Perhaps she wouldn't notice.

"Okay, I have three minor human transfigurations for you to complete. First, turn your hair fire-engine red?" said Professor McGonagall.

Emily did so, and she suddenly felt like a Weasley. Professor McGonagall seemed to have the same idea for she smiled slightly and then returned to her paper.

"Your eyebrows. Make them into the shape of the Eiffel Tower," said Professor McGonagall.

Emily did so, though a little too enthusiastically. Her eyebrows shot right through her now-red hair and grew half an inch above her head. This wasn't too much of a problem since it was very detailed at this size, and Professor McGonagall was obviously very pleased.

"Excellent. Now, please turn your fingernails into cobalt?" said the teacher.

"Oh crap…" said Emily. They had not figured out how to fix that yet, and, when she attempted to change them to the soft metal, they shot off with such force that they became embedded in the desk, and roses started to sprout from the areas left there.

"Okay, that's enough for today," said Professor McGonagall, returning Emily to almost normal with one wave of the wand (her hair was still a little bit peachy), "Please send Mr. Finnigan in, wouldn't you?"

"Aye," said Emily.

"How was it?" asked Steffen as Emily emerged.

"Not too bad. My fingernails shot off again, though," Emily said, "I'll meet you guys in the Great Hall, I've got to go get this pink out of my hair…"

The list moved slowly along. Seamus and Justin Finch-Fletchley both had to leave half-way through because they had caused severe damage to their bodies, but Hermione did everything perfectly as usual, and left with the annoyingly haughty look on her face. Daphne Greengrass went next, emerging with a new complexion to her face, and was closely followed in by Jack Hacker. After him was Jo Hammet, who also emerged looking slightly haughty. Then it was Steffen's turn.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Jett," said Professor McGonagall briskly, "If you would please conjure up a gecko for me?"

"Right," said Steffen. The small lizard showed up, and he looked completely normal… until he started singing "It's Raining Men" and dancing around with a pencil.

"Well. This has never happened before," said Professor McGonagall, eyes wide.

"Er… go away now," said Steffen, trying to vanish the little lizard. However, he accidentally banished him instead, and the singing lizard soared through the window, still belting out the lyrics of Aretha Franklin and the Weather Girls.

"… Do me a favor, try and change your hair sky blue," said Professor McGonagall.

"Um… okay," said Steffen. To his surprise, it worked. However, Professor McGonagall was unable to fix it, something that bothered her.

"I should be able to do this. Oh well, you're stuck with it for a week," said the Headmistress, marking something down.

"What!" gasped Steffen.

"Make your eyelashes grow six feet and form a spider web," commanded Professor McGonagall.

All that came of this was Steffen's eyelashes trying to strangle him. So, Professor McGonagall nullified the spell and moved on to having him make his lips turn into pieces of tomatoes. He did this perfectly, and she excused him.

"What happened to your hair?" asked Matt while the hall burst into laughter as Steffen emerged. He didn't say anything, growled, and stalked off. Over the next hour, the rest of the Sixth Years trickled in and out, and Matt became increasingly bored. When Lisa left the room, Matt entered.

"Well, Mr. Warren, how do you do?" asked Professor McGonagall, retrieving a fresh piece of parchment.

"Very well, thank you," said Matt.

"Okay, to begin with, I'd like you to conjure a Komodo Dragon for me?" suggested Professor McGonagall.

The lizard appeared almost instantly, and immediately leapt towards the shelf, trying to eat the books. They fell down on top of it, and Matt vanished it from behind the books. Professor McGonagall nodded approvingly, and then point to Matt's head.

"Make it green," she said, "Emerald."

"Aye, aye," Matt said, pointing his wand at himself. He concentrated for a moment, and then turned his hair the color of clovers.

"Excellent, now, if you would kindly make your eyebrows turn into green peppers…"

Matt did this as well, though it was heavy and uncomfortable. He changed them back relatively quickly. Finally, he was asked to change his fingernails into cobalt, much in the same way Emily had been asked. Unlike Emily, however, he succeeded, and was then told he could leave.

"One down, six to go," said Emily as they reviewed Potions that evening.

"Seven," Matt corrected her, "At least we only had one today and tomorrow. The rest of the week is going to be a nightmare."

"I'm never going to remember this," Steffen said angrily, throwing down a book filled with potions and their ingredients.

"Sure you will," Matt said, "If I can pass, so can you."

After the written exam, however, Matt wasn't sure if any of them had passed. The questions had been brutal, with very precise descriptions required. Slughorn actually looked pityingly as the Sixth Years struggled through thirty-seven horrible questions, each being answered with no less than eight sentences. By the end of it, Matt's hand was cramped up and he had only completed the first three pages. Emily and Steffen had both managed to finish their exams, but were worried the answers weren't keen enough for Slughorn's tastes.

While the Arithmancy students sat their exam, Matt, Emily, and Steffen were joined by quite a few of their Year to practice simple mixtures. The sad part was that even mixing something as simple as a Wiggenweld Potion caused Matt's tiny cauldron to implode on itself, destroying any hopes he had of passing.

When Slughorn separated them around the rooms, he put a bunch of tiny pieces of paper into a hat. Each student was to draw one. There were six different potions of matching difficulty, and each student would have to prepare their potion without being able to look at their neighbors. Steffen drew the "Hangover" Potion, Emily got the Artificial Adrenaline Potion, and Matt got a Wit-Sharpening Potion, one they'd learned during the O.W.L. Year.

Over the two hours they had, the students worked tirelessly on monitoring their potions' brewing. By the second half of the exam time, Emily and Steffen were both right on track with their Potions, but Matt was having a hard time with his. It seemed he was always adding too much or too little of something, because it kept changing colors, consistency, and odors. When Slughorn finally called for them to stop, Emily's potion was the perfect shade of indigo that it needed to be, Steffen's had the consistency of whole milk, and Matt, while having not blown anything up, had a potion that didn't resemble Shailagh's in any way (she had gotten the same Potion as him and hers was much clearer than Matt's).

Charms day was on Wednesday. The morning exam went almost perfectly for all the Americans. Emily and Steffen both gave horribly detailed answers on the exam, much more than the question asked for. Matt, was able to do this for Water, Fire, and Air, but when it came to Earth, he was a dunce. He could remember very few of the incantations and effects, and was almost positive he had mixed up the rock-splitting and rock-throwing charms.

Ancient Runes came after that exam, and, as in previous days, those who weren't translating runes were huddled up with their smartest friends, trading answers back and forth for the coming Charms exam. Emily and Steffen both tried to help Matt with his Earth spells, but it became apparent that Matt was not going to be able to do them with any decent results.

So, when they arrived at Flitwicks' room, they followed the same procedure as McGonagall. Flitwick called them in one at a time and had them demonstrate their prowess in each of the elements in turn, followed by a "special" situation where they could use any combination of two elements to accomplish a goal. Emily, the first of the Americans, was greeted happily by Professor Flitwick.

"Miss Davis, always a pleasure," said the tiny man, shaking her hand, "Before we begin, I'd like to ask you to be very careful when casting fire spells, we don't want any infernos today, hmm?"

"Alright," said Emily with a grin. Their poor Charms instructor still had the burns from Emily's latest pyro-trip in the class.

"First of all, show me how you can control your water. I'm going to set fire to that book shelf and you need to put it out before three rows of books are consumed. Ready? Go!" said Flitwick, and the bookcase burst into flame.

Emily set to work right away, sending a very well-controlled stream of water into the fire. It was out within twenty-seconds, not so much as an ash on more than one book. Professor Flitwick squealed happily and then moved to his desk.

"Here is a piece of parchment. I want you to transport it from this side of the room to that side, using only Air spells," he said, holding the parchment in his hand.

"Right," Emily said, waving her wand. A small cyclone burst from her wand, and caught the paper. It spun itself around the room, carefully avoiding the strategically-placed obstacles, before arriving at its destination on a far desk.

"Perfect! Just perfect!" cried Professor Flitwick, "Now, for your third test, I want you to burn that piece of parchment. When I say burn, I mean burn. Slowly. Don't just explode the parchment, okay?"

"Got it," said Emily. She stood ten feet away, waved her wand slowly, and a small flame caught itself onto the paper. Making sure to burn it evenly, Emily steered the fire along the paper, making sure to not let it grow to inferno size. Finally, all that remained was a perfect square of ash where the other paper had been.

"Brilliant!" he said, "Take these rocks and combine them into one."

"Right," said Emily. The tiny stones floated from the ground and slowly twisted themselves into one. Finally, a boulder the size of a watermelon landed on the ground. Professor Flitwick took out a small magnifying glass and scanned for cracks. He found none.

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" he squeaked, "You may go."

Emily left, feeling rather elated. She waited outside with Steffen and Matt until the former entered the room for his test.

"Mr. Jett, welcome," said the tiny man as Steffen entered.

"I'm ready," said Steffen.

"Okay. I need you to burn this book in three seconds. I don't care how you do it, just make sure it's gone in less than three seconds," said Professor Flitwick.

"Right," said Steffen. He sent an inferno onto the book, which engulfed it so viciously that there wasn't even any embers or ashes left. Professor Flitwick clapped his hands and held up the rock Emily had formed.

"Please make this rock into five equal pieces," said Flitwick.

Steffen did so, and Professor Flitwick was sure to weigh them and examine them before they continued. Then Steffen was told to use only water spells to eject those rocks into the lake (the Giant Squid gleefully took them and began to juggle). For his Air spell, Steffen was asked to mix up a few powders and let them flow easily into a jar. They were perfectly colored, and he got full credit for that.

"Okay. This is a special mixture of powder. If it leaves that jar, it will incinerate anything it touches. Get it into that small tank of water using only two elementals," he said.

Steffen thought for a moment. Fire was completely out of the question, since it would ignite the powder before you could say "Incendio." There wouldn't be much use for Earth because there was no practical way to use it this high up. So, he was left with Water and Air. His first thought was to use Air to move the jar, but what if the powder blew out? Finally, he had an idea.

"I'm ready," he said again.

"Go," said Flitwick.

Steffen carefully cast an air spell that would push into the glass, preventing any escape of the powder. Then, he caused a powerful, though slowly-moving stream to carry the jar safely across the room. When it reached, he had the jar turn upside-down and pour slowly into it. When that was complete, Steffen cleaned out the jar with another Aguamenti spell for extra points, and set it down.

"Marvelous! I'll see you in class, Mr. Jett," said Professor Flitwick.

When Matt went in, he found the tiny man cleaning up what was left of Josephine Vincent's raging fire, which took out six bookcases and three desks before it could be contained. He waited for his instructions, trying to remember all of the Earth stuff Emily and Steffen had just reminded him about.

"Oh, I thought she was the last one," said Flitwick, looking surprised, "Well… hmm… how about this, you use an air spell to get this ash into that box while I get us some rocks…"

Matt did so. The whirlwind spell was almost perfect, although something went wrong at the end and some of the ashes got onto the desks. Professor Flitwick ignored that and instead held up the rocks.

"Use an Earth Spell to make a letter M out of it," said Professor Flitwick.

"Um… I… I don't know the spell," Matt said.

"Give it a shot," said the Charms teacher.

"Okay…" Matt said, but the spell he used caused the entire rock, along with Flitwick, to shoot against the wall. The rock itself continued out the window, and the little man just barely managed to cling to the wall to avoid being taken with it.

"Well, that was a little unexpected," said Professor Flitwick, "But a little novel. How about this… burn this powder, but be sure to not let it get out of hand…"

"Yes," said Matt, but the powder seemed to have made it into the air because there was a big explosion and both people were thrown against a wall again.

"What have I missed… ah, water… clean the walls with your water, please," said Professor Flitwick.

"Yes…" said Matt, doing so very quickly. At least he'd done one thing perfectly.

"For your final test, I want you to move this ball of electricity to the ceiling without electrocuting yourself. Good luck!"

"Of all the times not to know Earth Magic," Matt said, then had an idea. He formed a wall of fire and tried to blow the thing up with a burst of water. It shot right through, shocked Matt, and threw him against a desk.

"Matt? Are you alright!" gasped Professor Flitwick.

Matt stood shakily. He was still buzzing a little.

"Fine," Matt said, before leaving the room.

Thursday was the worst for the Americans, though there was a trade-off. Both had three different exams, and though Emily and Steffen had Herbology in the morning and Matt had History of Magic in the afternoon, they all had Defense Against the Dark Arts. Snape had done his best to make this the most difficult exam of all, though the written section was relatively easy for the Americans. Steffen had always shown talent in this area, and Emily and Matt had been part of the D. A. last year, learning more in two dozen meetings than they had all year with Umbridge.

While Matt retreated to the Ravenclaw Common Room to study for History of Magic, Emily and Steffen reported to the Greenhouse to take their Herbology written exam. The format was much the same as the O.W.L.s had been: six pages of short-answer questions, six labeling diagrams, and three extended-answer essays. At the end of the two-hour test time, Emily could no longer feel her hand and Steffen was seriously considering setting fire to the whole greenhouse so their results would never be known.

That afternoon, Snape saw them individually for their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Many students left looking thoroughly dejected, except for the Slytherins, who looked elated. Worse, he was not doing it in alphabetical order, rather in the order from most liked students to most hated students. Needless to say, Emily, Hermione, and Harry were among the last to be called. Of the Americans, Steffen was first to go, right after about the half-way mark.

"So, we get our first American," said Snape smoothly as Steffen entered, "I have never had much faith in your education system, so let's see just how well you've been taught, shall we?"

"Bring it on," muttered Steffen under his breath.

"You are going to demonstrate to me your control of your magic. You will do the first three spells silently, a more complicated one verbally, and then you will battle a creature of my choosing. Have we an understanding?"

"Yes," said Steffen with more than just a hint of annoyance.

"Good. As with everyone else, we'll start with the basic Shield Charm…" said Snape, "I will cast the Full-Body Bind Jinx on you and you are to repel it."

Steffen concentrated all his thoughts on repelling the charm, which allowed him to conjure up a barrier strong enough to repel the spell right back at Snape. He destroyed it with a wave of his wand and it disappeared. There was no emotion on his face as he marked down a small note on his paper, though with no insults coming his way, Steffen guessed he'd done well.

"Next, I want you to prove to me you can rid the darkness of this room. This is not just any darkness, this is a spell most of our students learn in the Third Year. See if you can guess which one it is," said Snape.

Steffen thought for a few minutes. Besides_ Lumos_, which just produced light, there was a spell to expel darkness. What was it… oh yeah! _Verdimillious!_

The darkness was dispelled and an eerie light hung for a few seconds. Another silent note from Snape told Steffen he was on a roll.

"Next, you will prove to me you can detect an evil presence in one of these two boxes. One has a dark object, the other has a bowl of porridge. Decide which one is which, and make sure you use a spell. I'll know if you just randomly guess," Snape warned.

"Right," said Steffen, looking at the two boxes. He thought for a minute, searching for the spell that would allow him to decide. It was an aura-detecting spell, he was sure of that… but he just couldn't remember the precise incantation.

"Quickly, we don't have all day," Snape said, coldly.

"The left one," Steffen said, using a spell in his mind that changed the box red.

Snape stared at him for a moment. A vein twitched in his temple. Sure enough, the small, dark sphere was sitting inside the box. Technically, he couldn't deduct points because Steffen had used a spell, one that was horribly incorrect, so, lips in a tiny line, he marked down another note and turned back to Steffen.

"Now, I want you to defend yourself against this plant…" he said, picking up a Venomous Tentacula and slamming it to the ground, "You may use any spell of higher-than-average difficulty, either from this class or another class."

"Okay," said Steffen, "I'll use _Incendio!_"

The flames leapt from Steffen's wand and slammed into the plant. It made a strange noise as it was slowly engulfed in flames and smoldered to the ground. Snape wore a slightly triumphant smirk as he marked down another note on his paper.

"That would be Fourth Year Level, not nearly as powerful as I would expect from my N.E.W.T. students," Snape scolded, "But I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Here's an Erkling for you to duel."

"Did we ever cover this?" asked Steffen as the elfish creature leapt out of Snape's trunk.

"Maybe," said Snape, "But it should be pretty easy to deal with him, wouldn't you think?"

"I hope so," muttered Steffen. The erkling suddenly picked up a large straw and put a small dart into it. He spat it at Steffen, though the teen jumped out of the way and the dart embedded itself in a door.

"_Carpe Retractum!_" snarled Steffen, a rope of magic wrapping around the straw. Steffen yanked, and the erkling was forced to let go of it. Steffen caught it and threw it back with all his strength. It knocked the erkling to the ground, giving Steffen the chance he needed.

"_Orbitis!_" snarled Steffen, catching the erkling into a whirlwind that spun the small animal straight into a magical hole. He finished this off by turning it into a worm, then stepping on it.

"You're done. Go away," Snape said, putting Steffen's report on his desk.

Matt came in about six people after Steffen. He was the last of the non-Gryffindors to go. As he walked in, Snape's cold eyes met him. His nerves kicked in and Matt wondered how well he was going to do on this exam, especially with the lack of studying.

"Mr. Warren. Shield Charm. Silently. Go," Snape said.

Matt barely had time to focus on the charm itself, and when Snape's Body-Bind hit the barrier, it made a loud clanging noise and both Matt and Snape were knocked back slightly. Snape wrote down something on a new piece of parchment and turned to Matt once more.

"I want you to do these next two things silently as well. First, I want you to go through an exercise on identifying dark spells. They will be coming at you from all angles. If you guess the right one, you get two points. Miss any and you get no points. If you choose not to guess one, you lose half a point."

This part of the test was very difficult. The spells came one right after the other, and Matt hadn't properly looked over his notes for this section. By the end of it, he'd properly identified sixteen spells, missed eight, and didn't guess on six of them. He was furious with himself for mixing _Stupefy_ and the Boil-inducing spell, though he was more worried about what Snape would call for next.

"Okay, you're going to identify which box has a dark sphere in it," said Snape, "Use a spell, no guessing."

Matt hadn't the faintest idea which spell he was supposed to use here. There was one to detect auras, but it would be a complete miracle if he could remember what it was. He settled for the next best thing; trying to blast a hole through one to see if it was the right one. Unfortunately, when he did this, he exposed the bowl of porridge. Snape seemed to take joy in watching Matt suffer because he marked down a very extensive note for that section of the test.

"Now it's time for you to show me your powers in advanced magic. I have here a Remebrall enchanted with Dark Magic. If you touch it, it will explode. You must remove the spell it is enchanted with by using a purifying spell, but beware: too basic a spell will result in an explosion as well. You have thirty seconds before this Remembrall—"

"—Explodes," Matt said, "Alright. Here goes…"

It took him fifteen seconds to think of the right spell. Professor Flitwick had answered a question previously prompted by Hermione about dispelling curses and such, and he had explained to them the different levels of dispelling. The highest one they could do had the incantation of _Amoveo Maledicto_, which is what Matt used.

"Hmm…" Snape said, examining the Remembrall. It didn't as much as spark, "Fine. For your last test, you are to determine the proper way to destroy a Hinky-Punk."

"Okay," Matt said, "Um…"

The Hinky-Punk hopped on its one leg, cackling madly as it prepared to bludgeon Matt. The teen took about six steps back and readied his wand. He thought for a few minutes on how best to deal with this, and, true to his style, he picked his most famous and favorite spell.

"_LUMOS SOLARUM!_" screamed Matt, wand slashing through the air.

A huge, painful ray of light erupted from Matt's wand, taking the hinky-punky below the chin. It shot straight through him and out the window, leaving the latter in tact, but cutting the former almost in two. The hinky-punk made one last, loud cry and fell to the ground, moving no longer.

"Warren, why must you insist on blinding me each time I examine your spell casting talents?" Snape complained, "You may go."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville Longbottom were the only four to remain when Emily was called in, right after Seamus. Snape regarded her coldly from behind his desk while she presented herself at the front of the room. Snape gave her a disdainful look before informing her of her tasks.

"The first three will be done silently, if you can manage," he said, "And the last two will be done verbally, since it's obviously past your capabilities to do those tasks non-verbally."

"Let's get this over with," Emily said.

"Block this spell," Snape said, casting a spell almost at once. Emily barely had enough time to silently conjure up a Shield Charm, which she did perfectly.

"Alright," Snape said, "You've gotten past my first charm. Now, there will be many spells fired at you. You must properly identify them before they strike you, and, if you incorrectly guess one, that spell will strike you with a less-than-normal power. For example, if it's Jelly-Legs, which, I might add, is not one of them, you will feel a slight sensation in your legs. Get it?"

"Yes, let's go already," Emily said.

When the test was done, Emily had managed to identify about three-quarters of them. One of them had been Jelly-Legs, against what Snape had said, though she had mixed up Full-Body Bind and Leg-Locker, and now she was very stiff with her joints.

"Simple mistakes that would have been avoided if you only had that much more common sense," said Snape, "Next, you have four boxes here. In three of them are bowls of porridge. In one of them is a dark sphere. Find the sphere with just one spell. You have twenty seconds."

Emily thought for a moment. She had absolutely no idea on what spell to use, so she did what she would always do: cast a same-color spell. If stuff was the same and/or contained the same thing, they would turn the same color. Three of the boxes turned orange, the other turned green. She pointed to the green one, and Snape was dismayed to find out she was right.

"Child's play," said Snape flatly, "See if you can handle this. I have here a Remembrall. It has an issue with it. There is a curse upon it that will do something unpleasant unless you use the correct dispelling charm to fix it. Have fun."

"How long do I have?" asked Emily.

"Thirty seconds, though only twenty because you've delayed," Snape said, smoothly.

"Well," said Emily to herself, "I guess I could use _Finite Incantatum_, but that's usually for less serious ones. I could use _Aufero_, but that's for very specific spells—"

"Time is short, Miss Davis," Snape reminded her.

"_Amoveo Maledicto_!" Emily said. The remembrall lost its strange aura and fell to the ground.

"Go. Now," Snape said, writing a few notes down for her.

It was now time for Emily and Steffen to take a rest while Matt reported to Professor Binns' room. He handed Matt the fifteen-page exam and set Matt to work. For the next two hours, the teen was awash in question upon question of forgotten wars, arguments, and Muggle awareness, ancient witches and wizards, discoveries of the seventeenth century, and various other things. When time was up, Matt was almost completely done with his last essay, though there were a few blank spaces here and there.

With one last night of studying to go before the exams, and one day left before the winter break, Matt, Emily, and Steffen went to study their specialty courses. The only exam Emily and Steffen had the next day was the Herbology Practical Exam, which Professor Sprout insisted on having first thing in the morning, and Matt had both Divination exams.

Herbology was spent with Emily and Steffen picking their way through various plants an explaining how to properly handle a Fanged Geranium, Gnarled Stumps, and other Flesh-Eating plants. At the end, both teens had done relatively well, but had suffered a few lacerations and bruises.

Matt, meanwhile, was stuck in the small, perfumed room with Shailagh, Lillian, and the Hotties, answering question after pointless question about various Divining Techniques. Then, after lunch, they had to demonstrate their mastery of tarot cards, crystal balls, palm reading, dream interpretation, and tea leaves. It was basically their O.W.L.s over again.

That night, there was a cause for celebration. They were free from the wrath of their teachers for three weeks and, best of all, Christmas was upon them. During the small hours, three feet of snow fell on Hogwarts, and everyone awoke to freezing temperatures, Christmas decorations, and plenty of snow to play around with. Matt, Emily, and Steffen were among the first to start a snowball fight that afternoon.

Katrina, Ryzalp, and Hyro enjoyed the snow almost as much as their masters did. They spent quite a few hours with the gryphons on Saturday, running through the snow, throwing snowballs at each other, and skating across the frozen lake. Katrina had to be pulled out of the snow banks a few times, but, other than that, they day went on without a hitch.

The only exam grades they received were Herbology and History of Magic. Most teachers wanted to wait until the new term started to give out their grades. Emily and Steffen both got A's on their exams, which gave them both sighs of relief. They thought they'd failed it. Matt got an O on his History of Magic Exam, causing an elated feeling to course through him. At least now they were prepared for the finals, and knew which ones they would have to study if they hoped to pass with any reasonable amount.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**And… after two days of furiously uploading what I already have done, this is my last completed chapter at this point of time. Please review, and I'll have Chapter 10 done soon. Very soon. I promise!**


	10. Ch 10: A Christmas Story, Hogwarts Remix

**From the Author's Mind  
Sappy Chapter! Yay! I'm going to be alternating between this fanfiction and my other one, Tales of Invader Potter and the Whitestone School. I suggest you read that one, too, even if it is completely random… wait, I'm digressing! slaps self Anyway, I made sure to spell-check this chapter, and I'm almost positive that it'll be a really good one. Maybe just a LITTLE cliché, but that's alright. And it's short.**

Chapter 10: A Christmas Story, Hogwarts Remix

Christmas continued to approach, with a few rumors going around about upcoming events. There was to be another ball, and the amount of dressing-up you did relied on you. A few of Matt's roommates tried to hook him up with other girls, but he declined, saying he'd rather not be tied down to one person. In truth, he just didn't care that much anymore; he was just as happy single as he had been with Lisa or Melody.

Professor Slughorn found them on the first Monday of break, scolding them gently for not attending his Christmas party. With looks of confusion, they asked what he was talking about.

"My party! On Friday!" he exclaimed, "Didn't Mr. Malfoy give you the invitations?"

"No…" said Emily.

"Oh. Poor boy must've forgotten. Well, he did look pretty sickly when he arrived… ah! I must go, I had an urgent owl from a former Slug Club member and I must answer it at once…" said the large man, rushing off.

"Y'know," said Steffen, "This is the first time, and probably last time, that I'll ever thank Malfoy for doing something nice for us."

"Agreed," Matt said.

When they approached the second floor, which should appear but Malfoy himself? Crabbe and Goyle were conspicuously absent, probably home for the holidays. Indeed, Malfoy did look sickly: pale, shrunken, and with heavy bags under his eyes. But his face was still alight with malice as he smirked on to the three standing before him.

"Missed Slughorn's party, did ya?" Malfoy said, "Pity you couldn't go. Lots of famous people there, you know."

"Yes, and we heard it was your fault we didn't get to go," Emily said.

"That's right," Malfoy said, drawing himself up.

"Well, we have just one thing to say to you," Steffen said.

"Go ahead," said Malfoy, smirking.

"Thank you so much, you saved our sanity," they said at the same time.

Malfoy looked like he'd been hit in the face with a large, blunt object. The Americans laughed and continued on their way to the lake to have a wizards Ice Hockey game with Blaine, Nate, Dakota, Jack, Shailagh, Melody, Rachel, Mandy, and Padma. The guys versus the girls.

"Okay, here are the rules. We have a ball of magic here which was enchanted by our own Charm expert Emily to make it spew out random spells when it hits someone," said Blaine, nodding to Emily, "The goal is to hit it towards the other team's goal. If the ball of magic goes into your goal, or strikes you on the ice, you will fall victim to a random spell. Be wary, for the spell won't wear off until either someone dispels it or your team scores."

"And, if you get scored on, a random person will get the spells' effect," warned Mandy.

"Are we ready?" asked Melody, who was holding the ball of magic above her.

"Yes," said the guys.

"PLAY!" called the girl, flinging the magic at the boys' goal. Dakota, who was Keeping, was caught by surprise and missed it. Jack went down with a Full-Body Bind, and the girls cackled maliciously before skating off to their assigned positions.

"That was cheap," said Matt.

"Get out of the way," Emily said, knocking him aside. They were using their wands to control the magic, and she hit it towards the goal. Jack countered it and she just barely leapt over it. Behind her was Rachel Smith, who suddenly was having trouble maintaining her balance from Jelly-Legs.

The game became rather rough from there. Many of the guys, except Matt, became very aggressive, and all the girls countered it. Shailagh became a holy terror, knocking guys down left and right to score. She only got hit with a spell once, and that was because someone had got one past an incapacitated Mandy.

As the game wore on, some of the remaining students came down to watch. A few second years thought it would be just the _funniest_ thing to skate in between the Sixth Years and disrupt the game. They paid the price, since everyone starting aiming for them. They got the hint after two suddenly had watermelons for their heads, one had his eyebrows replaced with summer squash, and eight were knocked unconscious (but this was actually from Shailagh checking them into trees, not the stupefying charm).

By the end of the day, everyone was sporting small wounds and problems from the exciting game. Matt could not feel anything below his knees or elbows, and his hair was still singed from where he'd been shocked with lightning. Plus, he'd had about eighteen different curses put on him and removed, and had resorted to being the main healer/dispeller for the guys' team. Steffen had not taken as many hits as Matt, though Emily had sent a few specialties his way. He had countered them, and Emily had been hit twelve times from him and two random ones from the goal.

It was Christmas Eve the next day, and everyone was preparing their presents for the following morning. Matt had gotten in contact with the Weasleys and had worked out a bargain for a whole case of Daydream Charms that he was going to give to a bunch of people. Emily was only going to get gifts for a few people, but she hoped to make them really good ones. Steffen wasn't going to buy too many gifts, but he hoped the ones he did buy, especially the one he had for Emily, was good enough.

The morning of Christmas began early for everyone. It seemed traditional that Ravenclaw Boys had to have duels at five thirty in the morning on Christmas morning. Having experience it last year, Matt immediately locked his presents, as well as the hysterical Cyclone, into his trunk before joining the fray. Steffen was already having a rage over being awoken so early in the morning, and was taking it out on all the other guys. He knocked Blaine into a desk, almost threw Dakota out the window, and Nathaniel suddenly found himself suspended in midair.

When everything calmed down, they opened presents. Steffen had gotten a ton of candy from the other guys in Ravenclaw (they had done a thing where each person bought a certain thing of candy for the others, as well as some for himself), a Daydream Charm from Matt, a Wizard Paintball Game from Jose and Lisa, an Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts book from Mateo, and, from Emily, a leather cloak, a few new wizard mangas of different types, and lots of candy stuffs. She also got him an Arcadian Wand, which was the leading spare wand in the world, and one Matt's family had discovered a year before. Shailagh had given him a mysterious deck of cards, with instructions to see Matt on how to use them. His family, as usual, had sent a bunch of clothing articles, and a nice sum of money.

Besides candy from the other guys, and some clothing and money from his family, Matt also had a good haul. Emily had also gotten Matt a cloak, a silver-and-blue one. Steffen had included a few wizard mangas, as well as the Chocolate Frogs he'd gotten everyone. A few other people had sent the teen gifts as well. Lisa and Jose had chipped in together and gotten him a special wizard camera, the instant kind which required no potion to make the pictures move. Mateo had sent a Transfiguration book for Matt, one with all sorts of specific spells that they didn't learn in class. Shailagh bought him a special wizarding card game that allowed the players to go on an RPG-like adventure with just cards, but allowed them to see the whole thing as well. Rachel Younger had given him a hand-knitted scarf with a Ravenclaw Eagle on it.

Over in Gryffindor, Emily didn't wake up until almost nine. Not quite as much sleep as last year, but not bad considering she had gone to bed at two. With no one else in the dormitory, she was able to open her presents in peace, her only guests being Floof (who had attached a large ribbon to his head) and Red Wing, who also had gotten a ribbon attached to him by the Pygmy Puff and was looking thoroughly pissed about it.

Her gift pile was a large one, too. Steffen, predictably, had sent her enough sweets that would cause her to become the next Umbridge (if her metabolism decided to shut down, that is), along with the next wizard issues of her favorite mangas, and a matching cloak to his, though Emily's was more fitting for a girl. Matt had gotten her a very high-quality Daydream Charm. Mateo had given her three books he'd found on specialty Charms, while Jose and Lisa had gotten her a camera to match Matt's. Hermione had gotten her a homework planner, and, this year, Emily didn't feel guilty because she had sent Hermione some American books that undoubtedly had spells unknown to Hogwarts students. Shailagh had given Emily the same kind of cards she'd given Matt and Steffen, with instructions to see Matt to see how they worked. Typically, and like her American friends, all her family had sent were a few clothes and some money.

They spent most of the day outside, throwing snowballs at each other and getting involved in the Great Snowball War that had divided the remaining school in half. Even a couple of teachers got involved, although Professor Trelawney preferred to stumble drunkenly around No-Man's-Land, rather than throw snowballs. By two o' clock, everyone was soaked to the skin and ready to go in. Many of the girls were whining about getting ready for the Ball. So, they went to get ready. Matt, Steffen, and Emily went to visit the gryphons, giving all of them extra-juicy steaks for their presents.

The ball was set to begin at eight. The Americans met Shailagh at the Entrance Hall, each dressed much as they usually did, and entered. Shailagh was the only one left at Hogwarts that the Americans considered a close friend (Lisa, the Martines, and Lillian had all gone home to spend the holidays with family). They entered, and found the Great Hall to be much like it was last year, with only minor alterations.

The house tables were gone, and about two dozen smaller, circular tables replaced them. A few bars along the sides had all sorts of things from drinks, meat, vegetables, small treats, and holiday crackers. Every now and then, another person would pull on one and it would explode, causing a cannon-like blast and producing some sort of present for the person who had opened it.

In the middle was a giant dance floor area, to which the tables set the perimeter. A small, raised stage area stood, waiting for the Weird Sisters. Matt, Shailagh, Emily, and Steffen sat at one of the small tables, sipping a few drinks before the ball began. Around them, people were dressed from everything to pajamas to dress robes of the finest material. Emily was repulsed to see the Hogwarts Hotties had actually arrived from break to be here, showing their stuff in their dress robes. How they had gotten permission was beyond Emily, but there they were, itching to dance.

Professor Dumbledore ascended the stage first, however. He took one of the microphones in his hand and spoke to the room at large.

"Welcome, students and staff, to the Hogwarts Winter Ball," he called, "Tonight should promise to be a fun-filled evening. To introduce our guests tonight, I'd like to call Melody Moon up to the stage."

The Great Hall exploded in cheering, whistling, cat-calls, and clapping as Melody ascended the stage. She looked stunning in her midnight-blue dress, which brought out her eyes to just the right color. She smiled as Professor Dumbledore handed her the microphone.

"Okay, everyone, get ready to rock! Put your hands together for… THE WEIRD SISTERS!" Melody called into the microphone.

The Weird Sisters came out on stage to an applause that quadrupled Melody's. Everyone was stamping, screaming, cheering, and making enough noise to send dust cracks from the ceiling. The girls took their spots on stage, the lead singer taking the microphone that Melody handed her.

"Hello Hogwarts!" the leader yelled, "We're happy to be here for the third year running! Before we begin our main show tonight, we'd like to honor some up-and-coming talent in the world of music. Melody will join us in our first song!"

The students clapped, whistled, and cheered as Melody produced another microphone from her wand. The band began to play "O Holy Night," and the light in the hall seemed to get darker.

"Oh holy night," Melody sang, her voice like a piece of heaven, "The stars are brightly shinning… this is the eve of our good savior's birth…"

As she sang, a strange, almost tangible aura seemed to fill the room. As her voice slowly rolled over the high and low notes of the Christmas song, it was as though something magical was flowing from Melody's voice box, filling the room with a strange feeling of enchantment. As she sang, everyone could feel themselves getting more relaxed, yet more energized. It was as though Melody's voice was purifying everyone's souls.

When the song ended, she got one of the loudest rounds of applause that anyone had ever received from Hogwarts students. She smiled happily at them and leapt off the stage, right into the waiting arms of Jack, and the two immediately walked off to the side of the dance floor. The lead singer, now seemingly full of energy, moved to the front of the stage again.

"THANK YOU MELODY! NOW, HOGWARTS, ARE YOU READY TO ROCK!" she roared.

The responding cheer was enough to knock many people senseless. Matt, Emily, and Steffen especially felt themselves suddenly more in the mood to dance and have a great time. It wasn't long before all of Hogwarts, from the smallest First Year to Hagrid himself were on the dance floor. Even Emily and Steffen, who were normally anti-social when it came to school dances, were both seizuring around the floor. Matt, of course, was one of the worst dancers in all of Hogwarts, but that didn't stop him from making a complete idiot of himself on the dance floor.

The Weird Sisters sang their way through a variety of slow songs for the couples, fast songs for the people with a fire burning inside of them, lively sounds for people like Matt, Emily, and Steffen, who could only flail happily, and even a couple of songs in German, and one in Romanian. It was arguably their best performance ever, they were so energized and ready-to-go that they impressed even Professor Snape, who was normally against such music.

Melody was called up twice more to do a very lively song that got everyone so fired up that almost everyone's legs had cramped up. Yet they kept dancing, even after the burning pain had numbed their legs. The third time was for another slow song about love, and everyone embraced their dance partners a little closer after this. Jack had seemed much more subdued than usual, and, at the end, it was clear why.

As the Weird Sisters performed their final number, the audience burst into one last, wild round of applause. Everyone was whistling, cheering, and the Weird Sisters even brought Melody up to enjoy her little sense of happiness as well. Then, Jack pushed his way through the crowd, looking the most nervous he'd ever been in his life. He reached the stage, climbed up on it, and approached Melody. The Weird Sisters backed off slightly, leaving them center stage.

"What's he doing?" asked Steffen.

"I think I know," said Emily.

"I know," Matt said, having seen Jack practicing in their dorm room the previous three nights.

"Melody…" he said, looking a little flustered, "I… You make my life complete. You know how much I love you."

"I feel the same, Jack," she said, softly.

"Melody…" Jack said, suddenly getting on to one knee. There was a collective gasp, "Will you marry me?"

There was a pause that may have lasted as short as a second, or as long as an hour. It depended on who you were. Jack knelt there, holding out the magnificent diamond ring, looking at Melody with his big, round, brown eyes. Melody stood before him, looking just slightly taken aback, though not repulsed in any way. She opened her mouth for a second, closed it, considered herself for a moment, and replied.

"Jack…" she said, softer than before, "Of course I will."

He stood, shaking, and slipped the ring onto her fingers. Then, they kissed, extendedly and passionately. Someone started to clap. It was Shailagh. Slowly, everyone else picked up, and the clapping became even louder, cheers rose up, and whistles pierced general clapping. A few people actually threw roses to the new happy couple while they stood before everyone, lost in their own bliss.

**From the Author's Mind**

**/End Sap. Okay, next chapter, Chapter 11, is called Rivalries. I should have it up within the week, but I'm also working on Chapter 3 for the other one. Until then, here's a preview: The next Inter-House Quidditch Game approaches, and an earlier prediction of Shailagh's comes true. But can everyone from the League behave long enough for it not to get scrapped by the teachers?**


	11. Ch 11: Rivalries

**FROM THE AUTHOR'S MIND:**

**After an extremely long wait, I have finished Chapter 11. This is a mainly-Quidditch Chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. It's about… 11 typed pages long, and has plenty of action-packed Quidditch…ness. And it's spell-checked. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: Rivalries

When everyone returned from Christmas break, one of the first things that became general gossip, as well as general knowledge, was Melody and Jack's engagement. The happy couple became even more popular, and very few people could say anything bad about them. Even Emily and Steffen, who were normally against love at this age, had to agree that it was true love in bloom. Both had been friends since they met, but their feeling escalated after Matt and Melody broke up the year previous.

The other thing everyone was talking, or rather, complaining about, was the exam grades. They had been returned to them whenever they first had the classes on that first Monday. For the Americans, this meant Defense Against the Dark Arts would be their first returned grades. Snape swept about, handing out various grades. Steffen received an O, much to his excitement, but Emily and Matt were furious when they were both given E's on their exams. Emily raged for nearly an hour after class about how Snape only hated her and Matt, and that even Umbridge would have had to give them O's for how well they'd done.

Since Care of Magical Creatures didn't have an exam, Potions was their next exam grade. Emily had gotten an O, Steffen an E, and Matt a P. Though Emily and Steffen were very pleased with their results, Matt was a little put-out. Even an A would have made him gleeful, and he wondered how much he'd missed a passing grade by…

Both Emily and Steffen had received A's on their Herbology exams, but Professor Sprout clearly warned them how close they were to the failing mark. In Divination, Matt was pleased to see an E on his paper, though he had a feeling the massive headache he'd received from staring into the crystal ball played a part in it. His History of Magic grade was excellent: another O for him.

Things got better for all of them after that. Matt got an O on his Transfiguration exam, and Emily and Steffen both had E's (she had given them all very thorough exam results, so they knew exactly where they had lost points). In Charms, Emily, Steffen, and Hermione were praised for having the highest grades in the entire class, O's all around. Matt had only received an E, mainly due to his poor performance in the Earth section of the exams. Astronomy, to none of their surprises, were O's.

So they entered January with a great happiness, and the knowledge that they had nothing to fear from the rest of their first N.E.W.T. Or so they thought. In fact, the workload immediately engulfed them, and the first week from vacation felt like exams all over again. Cursing their teachers, many of the Sixth Years worked right up to curfew on various essays, questions, and spells, unrelenting in their efforts to keep on top of things.

A small ray of sunshine on the horizon, the next Inter-House Quidditch League game, was due for January 11th. This meant Intransigence was back to their five a.m. practices in frigid temperatures, the Seniors were arguing about Pitch rights, and teachers were warning Matt that there would be severe punishments instituted if there was continued fighting.

Despite these ominous signs, Matt decided to do something Shailagh had predicted earlier in the year. Instead of having the Shuffling Charm placed on the list of teams, he thought long and hard about which teams had the largest rivalries. Even though this was quite possibly a disaster waiting to happen, Matt wanted to be sure that all of the big rivals got to fight each other at least once this year.

A few of them were glaringly obvious. Salazar's Finest and Helga's Hell-Raisers were always at each others' throats over the whole name thing, and Almighty and their men-rule-all attitudes seriously pissed off all of Intransigence, so they were quickly matched up. It was a little harder to come up with Flower Power being put against the Seniors, but since they were almost always tied on the scoreboard, and the elder students sometimes tried to force the First Years off the Pitch, Matt decided it would be a fine match-up.

The other four teams (Random Insanity, Hogwarts' Hotties, Sanchez's Flying Burritos, and The Superior Seven) were a bit more of a challenge. The Burritos and Random Insanity got along perfectly, so that was a no. The Superior Seven never displayed aggression for any of the other teams, so they would have to take whoever was left over. Hogwarts' Hotties were hated by the Burritos, but they already played each other, so it wasn't possible for them to play. Then again, after consulting with Emily and Steffen, they pointed out how the Hotties often talked down on Random Insanity, and it was pretty clear Ginny wasn't going to take much more.

This provided the final line-ups: Random Insanity against Hogwarts' Hotties, and the Superior Seven against the Burritos. This last rivalry was even justified because both teams were undefeated, number one and two in the rankings, and were very aggressive, as well as decent. It was going to be a very arduous battle, they were aware of this, and it was going to stretch tensions to the limit. Fortunately, there was only one week of school before the actual game began. In this time, there were six fistfights, eight duels, and two mysterious Hospital Wing visits where the persons wouldn't explain what had happened. Professor McGonagall, acting as Headmistress again in Dumbledore's absence, was not pleased.

"I'm warning you all, Warren," she said to Matt after Transfiguration one day, "If there is any more violence, the Inter-House Quidditch League will be cancelled, and any people involved will be placed in detention."

"Yes, ma'am," Matt said, picking up his books and walking out of the room.

That night, he called an emergency meeting for the Inter-House League. The teams assembled, many staying as far away from each other as humanly possible. The muttering was dark, and a few people hissed insults at their rivals before Matt called for quiet.

"I don't know how else to say this," Matt said, while Emily and Steffen flanked him like two body guards, "I have told you all repeatedly the consequences of your actions. If you all continue to argue and fight, the teachers are going to cancel the Inter-House Quidditch League."

"They can't do that!" called one of Helga's Hell-Raisers.

"Yes they can," Emily said angrily, "This is not the Official House Cup. They have every right to revoke our privileges. We are treading on thin ice as it is."

"I don't want this to be ruined for us," said Steffen, "If you guys are gonna be a bunch of immature morons, then by all means, get the League cancelled."

"You just say that because your team is in the lead," Esme, one of Salazar's Finest, said flatly.

"Esme, shut up," said Ginny, "We're all _very_ sorry your team is in _seventh_ place, but, you know…"

"You know what, you little brat—" Esme retorted.

"See?" Matt yelled, "This is what I mean! You're all going at each other and these arguments and insults are provoking the fights and duels and sabotages. I have been talking with the teachers, begging them to give us one last chance. But if you all continue to fight, I'm not going to say anything, and if they decide to cancel it, I'll do nothing about it."

"So, we've only got a few more days. Just behave until then, alright?" said Emily.

"We've already cancelled one game, we don't want to have to do it again," said Steffen.

"Alright," said Adrianna, "We'll all stop acting like three-year-olds and behave."

"Speak for yourself," said Zacharias.

Matt sighed as the groups left. It looked like this might be the last game of the Inter-House League. Emily and Steffen shared similar thoughts as they made their way back to their Common Rooms to chip away at their homework load.

Though everyone parted on bad terms, there was only one more minor scuffle in the corridors before the game. Most of the teams had managed to rise above the provocation, though Matt was a little surprised to hear Intransigence had been involved in the fight. Apparently, a few of the Almighty teammates and their friends had cornered Isis in the halls and were picking on her. Jo and Tabitha happened to be passing, and a quick fistfight insured. Even though it was risking the League's demise, the Americans were pleased to hear Jo had knocked out three guys before finally being subdued by Professor Flitwick.

Saturday was very cold, but, then again, January in England always was. The crowd for this game was much larger to start with than any other one had been. The factors for this included increased popularity of the sport, procrastination of homework, and a yearning to see an all-out war from the rivalries. All of the staff had positioned themselves around the stands for this reason, and many were looking grim. Professor Dumbledore was absent, so Professor McGonagall, once again, took his place in the Headmasters' seat.

"Well, despite the frigid temperatures, the largest crowd ever for an Inter-House League game has turned out," Rebecca said over the intercom.

"And the snow is so blinding in that sunlight," said Luna, "It'd be easy to get eaten by a yeti if you weren't listening carefully for his footsteps and breathing."

"Now that everyone is assembled, I think we can begin," said Rebecca, "First up, we have one of the biggest rivalries around. Let's hear it for Almighty and Intransigence!"

The two teams flew out to tremendous applause. Almost all of the Slytherins cheered for Intransigence since they had one of their own on the team, and the rest of the crowd was split amongst which team they were cheering for. As the all-girls and all-guys teams flew in the traditional O-shape around the center of the Pitch, Madam Hooch warned them all that any violence would be dealt with in the harshest manner available. Finally, after she lectured, she blew her whistle, tossed the Quaffle up, and the game began.

The evil Mateo was the first to reach the Quaffle, and he dove down and out of the oncoming pack of girls. He sped up the Pitch, took a shot, which was punched back by Manuella. Unfortunately for the girls, Mateo recovered quickly and put another shot in through the right hoop as Manuella was re-setting her position. Furious with herself, she attempted to throw the Quaffle to Adrianna, but it was intercepted by Justin, who promptly placed it back in. The crowd below groaned, cheered, and hissed, depending on who they were.

"And two minutes into the game, the score is already twenty to nothing," said Rebecca, "This Girls Versus Boys match is going to be a big one, I'm sure."

She was right about that. Over the next ten minutes, all of the Chasers and Beaters went on their own mini-warpaths. Adrianna and Tabitha both tried to score, but were blocked. Zacharias put another goal in when Manuella was nearly knocked off her broom by one of Dustin Backshaw's Bludgers. Jo Hammet, furious and with adrenaline flowing, smashed a Bludger right into Dustin's ribcage, doubling the boy over for a few minutes. William Kaylo attempted to fly into her broom, but she dove at the last second and he sailed right over her, nearly throwing himself off his broom instead.

"Hey, guys, remember Madam Hooch's warning," reminded Rebecca as a William seemed to read himself for another attack, "Meanwhile, Adrianna Reynolds of Intransigence has the Quaffle, and she's… ah… just missed. Bad luck, Adrianna."

Jo was now almost stalking Zacharias. A bludger game into her range of fire, and she slammed it right at the back of his head. The Hufflepuff boy heard this, however, and ducked out of the way just in time. Jo flew by, cussing, and he was forced to drop the Quaffle. Quinn Raphael quickly stole it and flew towards the goals. She dodged Zacharias, who had tried to take revenge on her, and put it through the hoops, finally getting the girls onto the scoreboard.

"And Quinn Raphael puts the first goal in for Intransigence!" Rebecca shouted enthusiastically, "We're only twenty minutes into this game and we've nearly started a riot!"

"I like riots," said Luna, "They're so much fun. Especially the ones with bricks."

"Uh… Luna… let's not give them any ideas, okay?" suggested Rebecca nervously.

"Oh, right, right… and it looks like that Slytherin girl on Intransigence just concussed that one boy… Justin or something…" said Luna.

Indeed, she had. Justin had flown by and said something very inappropriate, so Jo had taken it upon herself to throw her club at his head. It connected, and Justin had to sit out for five minutes while Madam Pomfrey checked for signs of head trauma. Zacharias took the penalty, which was blocked by the now-focused Manuella. Play resumed after that with many attempts and scores on the goals. By the time the first hour had drawn to a close, the score was sixty to forty, still in favor of Almighty.

"Oh, look, the meanie Mateo has the Quaffle. Heheh… that could be his nickname…" said Luna.

"Focus, Luna," said Rebecca, "Mateo Martine, the only child, flies to the goals. Dodges a Bludger from Henrietta, avoids Quinn and Tabitha… and… Manuella saves it!"

**_CRACK!_**

For no particular reason, William Kaylo had decided to fly straight for Adrianna while the crowd's attention was turned. He sent her flying off her broom, straight into the stands. The loud crack was her body impacting and splintering part of the seats, though she got up rather quickly, looking perfectly fit. Furious, Madam Hooch awarded Intransigence two penalty shots, and ordered William to leave the stadium. Though there were many protests, boos, and arguments, her decision stood. Adrianna re-mounted her broom, kicked off, and shot both of her penalties. The first was made easily, but the second was blocked by Keeper Moe, who promptly punted the Quaffle to Zacharias' waiting arms.

"The score is sixty to fifty, and we've already had one person kicked out for misconduct," said Rebecca, "I hope the rest of today's games aren't like this."

"As do I," said Luna, "And Zacharias is going to score I think. Yeah. He did."

Manuella, distracted by Luna's comment, let the Quaffle sail through. Red in the face, she threw it to Tabitha, who was the only Chaser not to score yet. In true storybook fashion, she flew across the Pitch and scored a goal, tying the score. But that was the last goal that would be scored for this game.

"There go the Seekers!" shouted Rebecca, "Isis on one side, James on the other, and both have seen the Snitch somewhere… maybe the Seekers in the crowd can spot it?"

"There," Emily said, pointing. Matt and Steffen tried to follow, but couldn't. Isis and James were both doing everything they could to get to the small, golden ball before the other. But, in the end, it was weight that mattered when the Snitch took a very long nose dive.

"And James gets the Snitch," said a slightly put-out Rebecca, "Though two penalties were committed, one on each team. Either way, Almighty's going to win."

Completely distraught, Intransigence not only missed the penalty shot from Zacharias, but Adrianna barely threw her shot. The final score was 220 to 60. Celebrating extremely heavily, Almighty left the stadium to the cheers of their friends, while Intransigence dejectedly walked off the stadium to the boos of many.

"Well, after a slightly depressing first match," said Rebecca, who obviously wanted the girls to win, "We'll get our second game started. In this thrilling match, the battle of the giants and the little people, Flower Power will attempt to defeat the tyrannical Seniors. It's going to be an interesting match, as Madam Hooch reiterates her warnings of fair play or else, especially after that last match…"

The game was almost obnoxiously short. It only took one goal, from Maria, before the Seekers set loose on the chase. The game had only lasted about fifteen minutes, which was mostly struggling to get the first goal, before the Snitch was caught. As usual, size made the difference, and when the Snitch curved down and to the left, it was in favor of Rachel.

"Flower Power takes an early victory!" shouted Rebecca into the megaphone, "After an anti-climax that should put even Dark Side Blues to shame, the First and Second Years take out the students in their final years!"

Stunned, the Seniors left the Pitch. Cormac looked as though his entire world had just ended, and he was shamed to even show his face amongst his team. The younger students from Flower Power, however, were ecstatic. They laughed, clapped, and cheered, lifting Rachel onto their shoulders while the younger students around the stadium clapped, whistled, and cheered as well.

"The idiots ended the game that early," said Emily, "Why!"

"I know!" Steffen added, "They could have gotten a lot more points, they could have moved up a few more places in the standings!"

"Remember, they are only First Years," pointed out Lisa.

"Yes, but still… even a four-year-old would know that," Steffen griped, "But… I suppose the Chasers on The Seniors are a bit tougher to beat…"

"Especially Maria. Did you see the way she almost killed Isabel? That was pretty amusing," said Emily.

"Only one game left, and then it's our turn," said Matt, who was beginning to get nervous. Mateo also showed signs of nerves, but the other five members remained completely calm.

The next two teams, Random Insanity and Hogwarts' Hotties, ran quickly onto the field. Almost everyone, including all the guys, were supporting the Hotties and their skimpy outfits. However, there were a select few Slytherins who had decided to go against the crowd and root for Random Insanity. Ignoring the noise the crowd made, Random Insanity sat on their brooms while the Hotties did a pre-game warm-up show, which once again resembled a difficult cheerleading move.

"Will they hurry up?" Emily shouted, "Some of us would like to play today!"

When the Hotties finally joined their foes in the sky, Madam Hooch once again gave the fair-play speech, and then the game finally began. Lillian was the first to take the Quaffle from the mosh-pit of Chasers, and she scored a goal within the first two minutes of the game. Luna followed suit, and the score was quickly twenty-nothing. But the Hotties weren't going to take that sitting down.

Bridget, Parvati, and Lavender started becoming very violent indeed. Terri and Lillian both became easy targets, though Luna was tougher to steal from because of her strange flight patterns. However, after the second ten minutes had gone by, the score was thirty-twenty, in favor of the Hotties. While this game wasn't quite as the first, there were a few incidents that almost caused penalties.

Bridget clawed the Quaffle out of Terri's hand, drawing blood and leaving a deep cut. In retaliation, Sarah Watkins hit a Bludger right at the girls' head, which missed, but barely. Brittany Baker "accidentally" hit Lillian with her club as she was pursuing a Bludger, which allowed Lillian her penalty shot. This tied the game up. Then, there was a scream and everyone turned just in time to see Romilda Vane falling, unconscious, to the Pitch. Neville, his face pale, stared at what he had just done.

"Way to go Neville!" roared Steffen while most of the crowd booed. Now that their Seeker was gone it meant the Hotties were going to have to score at least fifteen more goals than Random Insanity if there was any chance for them to win.

They certainly put up a good fight. When forty-five minutes had passed, the score was seventy-to-fifty, in favor of the Hotties still. Ginny had been searching for quite a while, but still had no luck actually finding the Snitch.

"And Lillian Sicily steals the Quaffle from Bridget O'Riley," Rebecca said, "She heads for the goals, tailed by Lavender Brown… who is hit in the back of the head by a Bludger from Sarah. Lillian has a free shot at the goal… and… Keeper Gertrude misses… SCORE!"

Lillian looked ecstatic. She had scored four of the goals already, while Terri had scored the other three (Luna mainly hung around the backfield, stealing the Quaffle from the Hotties as they flew by). Then, there was commotion about ten feet above the rest of the players. Ginny had caught the Snitch and was trying furiously to get everyone else's attention.

"And that's it, folks!" rang the voice of their commentator, "With a final score of two hundred and ten to seventy, Random Insanity wins!"

It was a majority of the crowd that booed, but the seven people on Random Insanity didn't care. They let the cheers of their fans drown out any insults the others had, while Hogwarts' Hotties fled the Pitch, embarrassed that they'd been beaten by such an unpopular group of people. Now they were more than halfway through the day, and it was already getting into early afternoon. With jolts of surprise, the Flying Burritos realized it was their turn, so they proceed to the Pitch in their robes, with Sanchez swimming around each of them, teeth bared, switchblade at the ready.

"And here we have The Superior Seven!" said Rebecca's voice, "It looks like this is going to be one of the larger battles. The number one and two teams in the league, facing off to see who is better."

"We've had some violence today," said Madam Hooch sternly from below them, "And I don't want to see any more of it. Tensions are high enough, and you all know the risks your violence will bring. Your league will be suspended until further notice. Do we have an understanding? Good. Now I want a nice, _clean_ game. Got it?"

"Yes, Madam Hooch," the two teams replied flatly.

"Begin!" shouted the referee, shooting the Quaffle into the air.

Blaine took the Quaffle first. Matt, Lisa, and Jose were scattered as all three Chasers flew in the Arrowhead Formation, shooting through any defenses the Beaters may have had as well. Mateo, petrified, could barely move, and the Quaffle was put through, unapproached.

"Focus, Mateo!" shouted Emily, "Don't worry about pain, it'll all go away eventually!"

A few seconds later, however, a team member from the Superior Seven would question that remark. Shailagh had followed Matt, who was about to make a shot when he heard Shailagh smack the Bludger. He ducked and it slammed right into Mandy's chin with a sickening crack. Her jaw had broken, and she was in extreme pain. Matt froze and flew over to her, along with most of the team. She held one hand to her face, tears in her eyes. But then, to everyone's shock, she kicked the Quaffle right out of Matt's hands, and said that she was going to continue.

"You're crazy! You need to get that seen to," said Melody.

"I'm fine," said Mandy thickly, the tears still there, "Are we gonna play or what?"

"Mandy, if you need to go, go!" said Blaine.

"I'm _fine_," hissed Mandy, "Let's get this show on the road!"

"And Keeper Mandy Brocklehurst refuses medical treatment!" Rebecca announced to the crowd, "Despite a broken jaw, she has decided to continue to play! What a trooper!"

Mandy proved to be more than that. She blocked six more goals from the Burritos, although she did allow a few in. Meanwhile, the Superior Seven chasers were angered and fueled by Mandy's injury, and they began to ruthlessly steal the Quaffle and move downfield. It seemed like they were playing Salazar's Finest for a few minutes, and the Burritos had to fix their strategies for winning so they wouldn't get completely annihilated.

Unfortunately, Mateo was definitely the weak link in the chain, and he allowed a total of seven goals over the span of forty-five minutes (he only blocked two shots, and many others were missed due to Bludgers hit by Shailagh and Steffen hitting them in the arms). Emily and Melody shot through the game, each looking furiously for the Snitch. Matt, Lisa, and Jose passed the Quaffle in a blur, and Steffen and Shailagh smashed what little life the Bludgers had right out of them. Though there was a tense moment when Shailagh and Jack got into a Bludger fight twelve feet above the rest of the players (Jack had taken to flying right above Melody in order to protect her).

Then, both girls seemed to see it at the same time. The Snitch was fluttering near Mateo's ankle, seeming to take a breather or watch the game's progress. With just a mere glance at each other, they shot off, Jack right behind them. The Snitch realized it was being chased once more, and dove, almost running straight into Nathaniel, who was attempting to score.

"Get it, Emily!" Matt called, while he flew in the other direction with the Quaffle.

Emily didn't respond. She was completely concentrated on getting to the Snitch before Melody. She let nothing else enter her mind as she leveled off thirteen feet above the ground, Melody right behind her. The Ravenclaw was gaining quickly.

"Emily, duck," Steffen shouted, hitting a Bludger right over her head. However, the plan backfired slightly when Jack was able to smash it right back at Steffen, causing him to roll over and almost drop his bat.

They inched closer to the Snitch, which took a breakneck turn straight up. Emily knew she was going to have to get as little wind resistance as possible if she was to get the small, golden ball first. They were closing in, both girls about neck-and-neck. Emily could see Melody's pink, shining, painted nails inching just a little closer than her own, and she reached as far as she could. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack swing his bat at a small, black Bludger.

In a second that lasted forever, Emily considered her options. If she didn't duck, she would undoubtedly be hit by the Bludger, suffering brain trauma, and probably miss the Snitch. If she ducked, she would avoid a massive head injury, but she would almost certainly lose the game for her team. There was only one thing to do.

"And a beautiful Bludger hit from Jack Hacker forces Emily Davis to roll out of the way… and that leads the way for Melody Moon to take the Snitch, and the win!" Rebecca called into the microphone.

"Dammit…" hissed Emily to herself.

The Superior Seven collected right in the center of the Pitch, lifting Melody off her broom and on to their shoulders. Even Mandy, who still looked like she was in excruciating pain, was cheering and celebrating. The Burritos landed and clapped for their friends before leaving the Pitch. Mandy also left rather quickly, finally being escorted to the Hospital Wing by Blaine. Shailagh left to join them, hoping to make sure Mandy was not going to suffer lasting damage. The others sat in the stands and watched the last game, one that made all of them nervous.

"One game to go, folks," said Rebecca, "Salazar's Finest versus Helga's Hell-Raisers. It's going to be a very… interesting game… and I guess Luna got lost because she hasn't returned to commentate, so I'll take this one by myself. The teams have entered the Pitch, and the tension in the stadium has grown so greatly you could cut it with a knife, especially with the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Whose idea was it to sit them next to each other?"

"I don't know," said Steffen from the stands, "But she's right. This is gonna get ugly."  
"Oh, God, please don't let this turn into a riot… we'll be certain to have the whole thing shut down," Matt moaned.

"Madam Hooch gives her speech once more," said Rebecca, "And the Quaffle is tossed into the air. Ken Naples is first to reach it, and off he goes! He dodges all three Chasers with relative ease, is past the Keeper… SCORE, SALAZAR'S FINEST!"

The Slytherins in the crowd roared their approval while Ken sneered at the Hell-Raiser's Keeper before returning to attempt a steal from Daphne Greengrass, who was the next one to have the Quaffle. He missed, and Daphne also scored, earning her cheers from the Hufflepuffs. However, that was about the time things began to go downhill.

"And Esme is driving up the Pitch… and she… oh my… she just threw the Quaffle at Daphne's face! It looks like her nose is bleeding…" said Rebecca.

In the stands, the Slytherins roared with delight while the Hufflepuffs hissed with fury. Madam Hooch shouted at Esme for a few minutes, while the Seventh Year Slytherin just smirked right back at the old referee. She awarded Helga's Hell-Raisers a penalty, which was taken by Susan Bones.

Within minutes, retribution had been served. Horace Putney returned the favor by slamming a Bludger right into the back of Esme's head. She was knocked cross-eyed for a minute, and Horace flew straight up. However, he didn't notice Yancy flying right there, and the twin of Esme's fist connected with his face before he could do anything.

"And here we have another foul," said Rebecca, "It appears Yancy has hit Horace in retaliation for what happened to his sister. It just goes to show that even in Slytherin, blood is thicker than water."

Madam Hooch was beside herself already, and she shouted some more. The penalty, taken by Susan again, was blocked by the Keeper, who returned it to play. The results of this move were tremendous. As Ken went down the Pitch, he was suddenly flanked by Horace Putney, and the other Beater, Bernard Andrews. They forced themselves right into the Chaser, almost knocking him off the broom and forcing him to drop the Quaffle.

"I don't know if that's a foul or not, but it's certainly angered the Slytherins on the field and in the stands," said Rebecca, "I can even pick out words I can't repeat."

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and gave Salazar's Finest a technical penalty. Though the Hufflepuffs screeched their disapproval, Carl Robinson put it away with no challenge from the Keeper. It was only getting dirtier from there, and, one hour and sixteen fouls later, the score was 30 – 40, in favor of Salazar's Finest.

"And after the seventh foul today from Yancy, Madam Hooch has made the announcement that any other fouls will result in the ejection of the perpetrator. This serves as a fair warning to all of you, especially Salazar's Finest, who have committed almost twice the fouls of the opposing team," Rebecca said.

"Look, a fight," said Emily, pointing to the Hufflepuff/Slytherin section. She was right. Two boys, looking to be about Fourth or Fifth Years, were rolling around the seats, while the people around them clapped and whistled. Professor Snape was in charge of that section, and, though he was only three rows in front, he ignored the scuffle behind him with a smirk on his face.

"Oh Jesus…" muttered Matt.

"With the Quaffle is Susan Bones. She passes to Daphne Greengrass, who throws it back in time to avoid Yancy. She goes forward… and… ARGH! That was deliberate, I know it!"

The other Salazar's Finest Beater, Daniel Xavier, had flown head-first into the girl, knocking the wind out of her. He tried to act like it was an accident, but Madam Hooch was not to be fooled.

"OUT! GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!" she roared at him.

"Hey! You can't do that! It was an accident!" roared Yancy, twice as loud.

"If you dare to question my authority again, you will be ejected as well. GET OUT OF HERE, THIS INSTANT!" replied Madam Hooch in ringing tones.

Daniel left the Pitch, looking thoroughly pissed. Yancy, also furious, returned to his position of knocking the small, metal missiles towards opposing team members. Daphne took the penalty, tying the score up. The Quaffle was then thrown to Esme, who took a quick shot, and then back again with Susan, who also made another shot. Then, things took an even worse turn.

The fighting in the stands had grown to about ten students. Professor Snape merely glanced back now and again to make sure he wasn't in any danger. When one pair of fighting students rolled passed his chair, he merely Stunned the Hufflepuff and allowed the Slytherin to find a new target. But that was nothing compared to what was going on above.

The Beaters had completely forgotten about the Bludgers, and were now swinging their bats at each others' heads. A big sword-like fight was going on between Yancy and Bernard, each trying desperately to concuss the other. Below them, Horace was being chased by Esme, who was furiously trying to hit him with the bat Daniel had left behind. Madam Hooch was trying to decide which fight to break up first when Ken scored again, letting Salazar's Finest go into the lead.

"And the Snitch has finally been spotted!" said Rebecca, "Thank God, I'm so sick of the fighting… er… anyway… both Seekers are diving, trying to get to the ball first. Wait, now they're rising again. And they're about neck-and-neck, with Jacob inching his way forward. Vince cuts him off at a turn, and Jacob tries to roll under him… and… VINCE HITS HIM IN THE FACE! WHAT A CHEAP SHOT! But… unfortunately… he has the Snitch, which means…"

"… Salazar's Finest win!" Madam Hooch called before the First Year could finish.

There was an uproar. The Hufflepuffs began to riot, and their first targets were the rest of the Slytherins. Many of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, as well as a few non-hostile Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, evacuated quickly, and all that was left in the stands were sixty or so fighting students, the two teams, Professor Snape, Madam Hooch, and the remaining Burritos.

"This is bad," Matt said, looking distraught, "There's no way we're going to get away with this."

"Those morons…" muttered Steffen, "I hope we don't get in trouble for this."

"We're screwed. I wouldn't be surprised if they called us down after dinner tonight."

Professor McGonagall slammed a huge stack of parchment onto Professor Dumbledore's desk. She stared at the three Americans, tight-lipped and furious. The other Heads of House, along with Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Slughorn, and Professor Dumbledore, stood behind her, each looking at the Americans with various degrees of anger and disappointment.

"Seventy-five injuries," said Professor McGonagall, her voice cracking, "_Seventy-five._ Never, in my nearly seventy years of teaching, have I seen such a brawl. We had students with concussions, broken arms, abrasions, and all manner of other injuries."

"I'm out of bandages, a few potions, and a number of pain-killers," Madam Pomfrey interjected, "I will be able to get more, but, nevertheless, the fact that I had to use so many worries me."

"I've always said this was a bad idea," Professor Sprout said, "I was against it from the beginning."

"As was I," said Snape, smoothly, "Ever since Warren demanded that I compile grades to make sure my students aren't failing…"

"With all due respect," said Emily with no respect in her voice at all, "Wasn't it your houses that were involved in this fight?"

"That is not the point, Miss Davis," said Professor McGonagall, but then sighed, "I warned you all countless times to behave. And look what we have here! The owls from parents have already started to arrive! What do you have to say about that?"

"We couldn't control their actions!" Matt exclaimed, quickly, "We never intended to have this escalate into a war."

"I'm sure you didn't," said Professor McGongall, "However, I noticed that you called this the 'Day of Rivalries.' Why would you put those teams against each other if you knew it would result in something like this?"

Matt didn't say anything. In truth, he knew she had him cornered. There was nothing he could say that would fix this. Even though Professors Slughorn and Sinistra tried to cover for the Americans, it was no use. They were shot down by Professor McGonagall's reasoning.

"So, what do you want us to do?" asked Steffen.

"Well, all of those involved in the brawl will face detention. This includes the teams of Salazar's Finest and Helga's Hell-Raisers. As the other teams didn't fight as much, I see no need to punish them… in that aspect."

"Oh no…" moaned Matt.

"Professor, what should we do in this situation?" asked Professor McGonagall to Professor Dumbledore.

He merely looked at her, sadly, and said, "It is not for me to decide. I leave the decision to you."

"Fine," said Professor McGonagall, "We vote."

She produced seven pieces of parchment. She gave these to each Sinistra, Sprout, Snape, Pomfrey, Hooch, Slughorn, and herself. They were to each right what they thought should be done: allow the season to continue, or cancel the league.

"I shall now reveal the ballots," said Professor McGonagall.

The first one was written in the crisp, clean cursive of the Transfiguration teacher. To nobody's surprise, it said CANCEL. The next one, which was in Snape's handwriting, also said CANCEL. The third, from Professor Sprout and her terrible handwriting, also voted for CANCEL. Fourth came Madam Pomfrey's response: CANCEL. Fifth was Professor Slughron's response, which was a refreshing CONTINUE.

A big surprise came with Professor Sinistra's: CANCEL. The Americans thought she might side with them, but, apparently, Professor McGonagall's reasoning got to her. Madam Hooch, the final one, gave CANCEL as her answer. The Americans sighed and looked down at their feet.

"Alright then," said Professor McGonagall.

"Professor… isn't there another way?" asked Emily.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Warren," said Professor McGonagall, "It has been voted on. We even did a democracy, like you would normally have requested."

"Which is a blessing," said Professor Snape, "Since this is not America. Although you seem to think it is, usually."  
"I still say we should give them a second chance," said Professor Slughorn gruffly, "We've all made mistakes…"

"While I would normally agree," said Professor Sinistra quietly, "We've given them many, many chances, and seventy students being injured… that's just too much."

"… I suppose you have a point…" said Professor Slughorn sullenly.

"Fine. It's settled," said Professor McGonagall, "The Inter-House Quidditch League is hereby banned from Hogwarts for the rest of the year."

**FROM THE AUTHOR'S MIND:**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! While I have most of the story for this planned out, I have no clue what to do for Chapter 12, so that one might be a little later than I expected. Meanwhile, I'm going to do a couple Chapters for Tales of Invader Potter and the Whitestone School. We'll see what happens with that one D. But anyway, this one should be done in another… 8 Chapters or so. Stay tuned!**


	12. Ch 12: Choices

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to welcome you to the Filler Chapter! This is, in my opinion, the worst one of the whole story because I had absolutely no idea what to do. With the exception of one seemingly small plot thing near the end, I made this up as I was going along, seeing as I hadn't any idea what to write for this one. Anyway… Tales of Symphonia reference about ½ way inside the Chapter, so Namco, don't sue me, okay? And… that's about it. Enjoy Chapter 12.**

Chapter 12: Choices

In the immediate wake of the cancellation of the Inter-House Quidditch League, there was outrage from all the students involved in it. It wasn't fair, they claimed, that they should have their games cancelled when the House teams wouldn't if they started a school-wide riot. However, despite the arguments, pleas, and whining of the other teams, Matt, Emily, and Steffen refused to do anything about it. They just told them, in cold, flat voice, that they were supporting the teachers' decisions completely, and were not going to appeal for any reason.

Despite the horrible way it ended, the Inter-House League had some very positive effects on the students at Hogwarts. People were mixing with other houses more than they had before, and one of the biggest leaps in cooperation came from Intransigence. Jo had become very close friends with Adrianna and the rest of the girls, and even a few of her Slytherin friends had, grudgingly at first, begun to interact with other houses more. The Americans liked to think that they were a part of this little revolution, but it was hard to say whether or not it was true.

All of the Random Insanity team members also became close friends, and this included Rebecca, who became more outgoing and friendly now. She became best friends with Rachel Younger, and would talk to the Americans whenever they passed in the hallways. Even Isabel Moon had taken a liking to her, and the two built up a friendship over the month of January. The Americans were extremely happy that they were able to help so many people become friends in such a short span of time.

The monotony of lessons, homework, sleep returned as January progressed. In one week alone, almost all of the Sixth Years averaged four hours a sleep at night due to the increased workload, and Matt was regretting his choice to take so many classes at once more than ever. History of Magic wasn't the problem; the essays were pretty easy to write. But the Potions work had doubled since classes resumed, something Slughorn said was due to the poor grades most of his students had. Matt horribly wanted to drop the course, but couldn't ask Slughorn to do that.

In Herbology, Steffen and Emily found themselves swamped with work as well, Professor Sprout doing her best to assign as much homework as she could possibly assign. Her classes became increasingly demanding as well, since they had moved into the most dangerous plants they would face, with the exception of Seventh Year. Her attitude since the whole Inter-House League fiasco had changed considerably towards the Americans, though not for the better. She always seemed to wear a smirk when she looked at them, as though it was entirely her doing that the League had closed.

The last week in January was a week of hell, especially for the Americans. On Monday, Professor Snape put them through a grueling test on identifying dark creatures, one that taxed many students to the breaking point. Luckily, many had time to catch a nap before and during lunch, which replenished their energy for Care of Magical Creatures and Potions. The griffins were getting bigger, and in Katrina's case, clumsier, than ever. Also, the males had started to court the females, and Emily and Steffen's gryphons had begun to spend much more time together than with any other.

In Potions, Professor Slughorn set them to work on a six-part Potion, one that would take the whole month to fully complete. Emily and Steffen found it pretty easy to do the first steps, but Matt immediately messed up, his measuring off by a huge margin. He left the dungeon feeling thoroughly depressed, as well as laden down with a whole bunch of new homework assignments.

On Tuesday, Emily and Steffen found themselves struggling to stay awake while Professor Sprout lectured them on the next chapter. She talked about some new sort of plant, a recent discovery in Bolivia, and how it may have a chance to help treat a few rather angry diseases. Emily finally got so bored that she put her head on Steffen's shoulder and went to sleep, though Professor Sprout ended up docking ten points from Gryffindor for "inappropriate displays of affection."

Divination was a complete joke for Matt. Professor Trelawney had attempted to show them Tarot cards, their next unit, and she ended up sending the whole deck flying into the fire. Far from being upset, she cackled hysterically and slammed herself backwards into an armchair, which immediately tipped over, leaving the hung-over teacher to sleep in a very uncomfortable position. As if that wasn't bad enough, Matt lost his quill and was forced to actually take notes in History of Magic. They were learning about "modern" wizards and witches, mainly those who had a lot of wealth and influence.

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall finally allowed them to begin more dangerous human transformations. She used the example of turning herself into a cat, and then instructed them to do various things to their not-dominant hands. Matt successfully changed it into a frying pan. Steffen messed up his incantation and suddenly had a tree sprouting from his wrist. Emily did something slightly wrong as well and suddenly had a large, red snake growing from her wrist. However, the worst performances came from Prudence Comstock, who only managed to set her hand on fire, and Bridget O'Riley, who melted hers slightly and went into hysterics because she ruined her manicure.

Charms was a little less stressful, though Matt found himself struggling slightly. They were working on Illusion spells now, especially Disillusion spells and making things invisible. Matt couldn't get himself to be Disillusioned, and when he did, he was stuck with the same pattern all over him for the time. Emily and Steffen had managed partial invisibility by the end of the lesson, something only five others had achieved (Hermione and Lillian among them).

Astronomy was cancelled because Professor Sinistra had to rush back to her family's house for a minor family emergency. It seemed there was a rather large salamander that was attempting to burn the house down, and they needed help putting out the fire. Snape, thankfully, had gone with her, as well as Hagrid, and that meant they were going to have a sub for Defense Against the Dark Arts for the next two days.

"Happy Thursday!" Matt said in a false cheerful voice two days later while Emily and Steffen glared at him. He was being a little to perky for it being seven thirty in the morning.

"Who is going to be our sub for Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked Emily.

"I hope Firenze," said Matt, "We haven't seen him since last year."

"I don't," said Emily immediately, "He'll spend the whole period lecturing us about how it was never _certain_ that our spells were going to work and that it just _might_ be possible that we are wrong in conjuring them. And he'll probably make a reference to a ceiling tile which will undoubtedly be 'unusually bright.'"

"I'm glad I never had to deal with him," Steffen said, "I would have probably killed him."

"He would've seen it coming," Matt said.

"No," corrected Emily, "He'd be too busy staring at the shining ceiling tile to notice."

"You're so mean," Matt said, smiling as the bell rang to signal the start of lessons.

"But am I wrong?" asked Emily.

"Hell no," Steffen said, as the three met up with Shailagh, Lisa, Jose, and Lillian.

"Good morning, students," said the blonde-haired, green-eyed woman wearing traditional teacher robes, "My name is Doctor Tavoularius. I'm going to be your substitute for Defense Against the Dark Arts for the remainder of this week, and possibly some of next week."

"Good morning, Professor," chanted the rest of the class.

"I must say, I'm very happy to be in Britain," said Dr. Tavoularius, "I'm sure most of you could tell from my accent that I am, of course, American."

The student Americans glanced at each other. A few of their classmates also glanced to them. Was the arrival of this woman… a foresight into something to come? Was she there to steal them back? There had to be teachers in Britain to use, like Grubbly-Plank. Sensing an ulterior motive, the Americans kept silent.

"Now, even though I will be here for only a short time, any help you can give me will be appreciated. Professor Snape gave me a list of things to do, but it looked really hard, so I burned it. Instead, we're going to do things my way, okay?" asked the doctor with a wide grin that exposed white teeth.

Most of the class cheered and whistled at this. Anything that wasn't assigned by Snape was good enough for them. She handed out a few books, ones that said "Property of: Seaside Academy." Emily and Steffen shared another look, still wondering what was going on. Matt, however, didn't care, and opened the book to the first page to find a Manticore taking up two pages. It snapped at him and he gasped, jumping away from the book slightly.

Dr. Tavoularius laughed, saying, "Ah, I see you've found these books a little livelier than the ones you're used to?"

"Just a little," Matt replied meekly.

"Oh! So you're American. Tell me, which school did you come from?" she asked.

"Well… you _could_ say we, that is to say Emily, Steffen, and myself, came from Salem…" Matt replied while the other two gave him warning looks.

"Ah… so you're one of the Infamous Three who escaped Salem. Pity you did, they just completed renovations a few weeks ago, and the school looks beautiful now," said Dr. Tavoularius, "I know those buildings were horrible-looking, but they were only temporary. They've made their own castle… though… it is nothing compared to this one."

"But I've gone there for five years," said Steffen, "How do you call that "Temporary?"

"Even with magic, building a castle takes a long time," said Doctor Tavoularius, "Especially when you hire immigrant wizards. Anyway, that's beside the point. We're wasting time! Open your books to page thirteen; we're going to learn about common defenses that work with all manner of Dark Creatures…"

They spent the rest of an enjoyable lesson learning minor spells and jinxes that would work on most Dark Creatures. Many were ones that hadn't quite "crossed the pond" to Britain, but were pretty fun none-the-less. She allowed them a few goes at the end of the lesson, and then told them to leave with a light assignment on doing an essay on at least one of the spells they'd gotten.

"That Dr. Tavoularius is very nice," said Lillian as the large group gathered their things at the end of class, "I wish we had more teachers like her."

"I definitely learned more today than I ever have with Snape," agreed Jose, "I might just transfer to Seaside, just so I could have her."

"I have a feeling that for every nice teacher in America," said Emily, "There are sixty evil ones. This is what I gathered from Salem, anyway…"

"Well, let's go," said Mateo, "I want to get cracking on this essay before Potions…"

"Matt, Emily, Steffen!" called Dr. Tavoularius, "Can I speak to you three for a few minutes?"

"Yes, Professor," they replied, "Go ahead, guys, we'll meet you in a few minutes."

"Okay, see ya," they replied, leaving.

"What is it?" asked Emily.

"Well, I thought we could discuss your futures," said Dr. Tavoularius, "I've spoken with your fellow Professors, and they all… well… almost all… speak very highly of you."

"AKA: Professor Sprout says we're Satan's reincarnations and Professor Slughorn doubts Matt's Potions abilities," said Emily.

"That about sums it up," nodded Dr. Tavoularius, "But I must say… you three have certainly drawn attention to yourselves… the violent fleeing of Salem, your little league, and, of course, your amazing magical talents, especially with only a year and half of formal education."

"Really? I didn't think many people would care," said Steffen.

"No, they care alright," said Dr. Tavoularius, "In fact, part of the American Student Wizarding Bureau have been keeping very close tabs on you recently. And they're not happy."

"Why not?" asked Emily.

"I would think that would be obvious," replied Dr. Tavoularious, "They're not happy with all the bad press Salem got when you three fled. This reflected badly on America in general. And they don't approve of foreign exchange programs too often, especially with the way things are now. Yes, I'm afraid Lord Voldemort's antics have finally crossed the pond and become known in America as well."

"Great," said Steffen, "So now we're going to have to worry about terrorists in the wizarding world, too, right?"

"We hope not. That is one reason they want you to come back. My husband works for them, so I figure I should just pass on a friendly warning to you all. But I think you know as well as I do how hard it will be for you three to return next year, between not only the government sanctions, but your families' wishes as well."

"You're right about that," said Emily, "Mom'll kill me when she sees me again."

"As will mine," said Steffen.

"Mine just won't let me leave the house," said Matt, "But what does that have to do with—"

"As much as I hate to say this," said Dr. Tavoularius, "Seaside has asked me to give you these brochures. Yes, I know, it's an ulterior motive, but it's one that can and will benefit you in the long run. To be honest, I think we have slightly better facilities, as well as more classes offered than Hogwarts."

"I don't know," said Emily, "We heard good things about Salem…"

"At first," added Steffen, flatly.

"Well, these brochures look okay," Matt said, glancing through them, "But I have a feeling that you've been beating around the bush about something, correct?"

"You're quite keen, Mr. Warren," said Dr. Tavoularius, "Shailagh was right."

"Shailagh? What has she got to do with this?" asked Steffen.

"You told her a few weeks ago about the Lady Shandra Academy for the Divine," explained Dr. Tavoularius, "She's very interested, and wanted some information. Well, we got to talking about you, and she told me a few things I think you need to worry about. It has to do with choices you will need to make in the near future."

"One of which is this, I'm sure," Emily said.

"Correct, but there are more. Each of you will have an individual decision to make that will affect, at the very least, the rest of your year at Hogwarts, and wherever you chose to go next year," said Dr. Tavoularius.

"What are our decisions? Classes?" asked Emily.

"Well… Shailagh couldn't tell me that much. She only asked me to give you a heads-up, which is what I've done. So, with my part fulfilled, it's up to you three to decide on what to do next. Good luck. Oh, and you'd better get to Potions…" said Dr. Tavoularius, "You've got about three minutes, so get cracking!"

"Aye," they said, leaving in a rush.

"Sorry we're late, Professor Slughorn," panted Matt as the three Americans dashed into the room five minutes later, "Doctor Tavoularius wanted to speak with us."

"No problem, no problem at all," said Professor Slughorn heartily, standing up from Draco's cauldron, "I know you three wouldn't skip out on lessons for the fun of it!"

"I don't know, Professor," said Malfoy, who was very annoyed at having his conversation interrupted, "They did try and get out of Herbology last week, I saw them myself!"

"Oh yeah… well, we didn't feel like going," said Emily, shrugging, "And the only reason Matt and Shailagh were with us was because Professor Trelawney was being barricaded in a small, dark room by Filch until the St. Mungo's Wizards could get to her."

"But she's fine now," Matt added as an afterthought, "Emily, where's my eye of newt?"

"Here," Steffen said, handing him the bottle, "I stole it last night to work on my project."

"Thanks, I," Matt said, taking it, but then gasping as it seemed to magically jump out of his hands and fly into the cauldron, "Um… uh… … uh-oh…"

"She's gonna blow!" screeched Blaine as he and the rest of the Ravenclaws hit the deck. Most of the class did this as well, since the cauldron was reacting strangely.

"Everyone down!" Slughorn called, "Get behind something big, if you can…"

Half of the class crawled around to get behind him. Matt stood, dumbfounded while his cauldron began to glow a bright orange, give off a lot of steam, and make a high-pitched wailing noise. Steffen and Emily shoved him down behind a desk while the noise grew louder. As their eardrums were just about to rupture, the whole cauldron exploded, sending a strange, messy goop throughout the classroom. Thankfully, it didn't get on anyone, but it was so corrosive that it destroyed six desks, four phials, and all of Malfoy's parchment.

"… Sorry…" Matt muttered from his uncomfortable position on the floor.

As usual, however, Professor Slughorn thought it was hysterical and he cackled madly while the rest of the class salvaged their supplies. Emily and Steffen were the only ones in the class who didn't have casualties from books, quills, or parchment, though their cauldrons had melted slightly on the sides nearest to Matt's.

"My God… we need life insurance for that class," said Steffen as the three left for lunch, "Especially with you, Matt."

"I wish I didn't have to take it," Matt said, "But if I try and get out of it, Slughorn'll hate me forever."

"I think he already does. Am I the only one who realized that we haven't received an invitation to his parties recently?" asked Emily.

"No, I noticed, too," said Steffen, "I just didn't want to complain about a good thing."

"Oh, no… you're right," said Emily, "Of course. God, I really don't wanna do my stupid Herbology homework…"

"Bah, it can't be any worse than the essays Binns makes me do everyday now…" said Matt.

"But you enjoy them," pointed out Steffen.

"Yeah? And?" Matt replied, "Something wrong with that?"

"No, and you know what? I'm skipping it this afternoon again," said Emily, "I'll go hang out with you and see how Binns and Trelawney are doing."

"Well, Binns is probably still lecturing me from yesterday and Trelawney… heaven knows where she is and what she's doing," said Matt, "Though the odds are she'll end up unconscious by the end of class…"

Steffen had also decided to join them, so the three reported to Professor Binns' classroom for lectures and homework. He stared at the two for a couple of minutes before handing Matt back his last essay. It was another O, something Matt was accustomed to getting. Then, he adjusted his glasses and resumed his position of floating two feet above his podium.

"Today we are going to continue our lecture about the death of a very famous, prominent witch in our society. Hephzibah Smith was a lady who liked to have lots of items, and it is rumored that she came from the bloodlines of Helga Hufflepuff. The story goes that she even possessed two very precious treasures that have ties to Hogwarts, but this information has never been quite released…"

"Time to tune out?" Emily suggested, handing Matt his Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Where'd you find that?" Matt asked, setting it to work immediately.

"Fury stole it," Steffen said, "And he and Red Wing were fighting over it. We got it from them before they could snap it in half."

"Awesome. So… where should we go?" Matt said, getting the Daydream Charm packets out, "I say we go back to Symphonia. Shailagh should be joining us as well."

"Let's go!" Emily said, enthusiastically, activating the charms.

They found themselves inside the world of Sylvarant again. Below them was a large, green pasture of grass, flowers, and the occasional tree. Far in the distance, they could see the Tower of Salvation, extending into the heavens. Though they knew the truth about it in the other world, they were a little bit oblivious in this side, much like the Chosen's group for regeneration, which they were apart of. However, they had been split up the previous day by a large storm, and were continuing on their merry way by themselves.

"Hey, Shailagh!" Emily called, walking forward, "What's up?"

"Oh, not much," said Shailagh, who had just been making camp for the three. It was getting late and it would probably be night before the group would be able to continue.

"What's for dinner?" asked Steffen, sitting on a rock.

"Since we don't have Genis, we're stuck with potatoes and bacon," said Shailagh, flatly, "But I'm sure I can do well with the potatoes at least."

"Well, you are Irish, and they are known for their potatoes," Matt said, laughing.

An arrow flew out of the bushes suddenly and landed a few feet away. The four straightened up, and Shailagh then flung herself to the side as another arrow landed where she had been. When she got up, her halberd was grasped in her hand and her eyes were narrowed.

"Show yourself!" she commanded, her voice ringing off the surrounding hills, "If you're a friend, make it known. If you're a foe, prepare to die."

"Powerful words, Shailagh," said Emily, who had also taken out her weapon: a large, broad sword with which she would love to stab enemies. Steffen also had a sword, though his was much broader and longer, requiring two hands. Matt had taken a safe, protected position, his staff clasped in his hands.

"Oh, I don't think so," came a cold, nasty voice from the bushes, "I think it'll be you that gives us your gald… or lives, depending on how much you have."

"Big words for a man who refuses to show himself," said Steffen, "Face us like a man."

"Right, but then you're gonna wish you hadn't been born," came the cold call.

Out of the bushes came six people. Three were your typical novice melee warriors: one had a small sword, another had a hand-axe, and a third had something resembling a mace. There were also two archers in the group, both of whom wore standard clothing and carried basic weapons. Behind them was presumably the mage, as well as the only female in the group. She carried a very plain staff, and wore only a hat and a cloak to show her status.

"What a pathetic bunch," said Shailagh and the mage at the same time.

"Who you calling pathetic?" retorted Steffen and the axe-man.

"I'll have you know," continued the leader, the one with the sword, "That we're the feared Bandit Brigade!"

"Oh, nice, way to be original," said Emily sarcastically, "And with your weapons and costumes, you've certainly proved your individuality and how powerful you most certainly are."

"Hey! You just insulted us!" whined the mace-man.

"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," spat Shailagh, "Now, we can either pretend this never happened and you can be on your way. Or we could fight you, destroying you for sure."

"We'll never back down from an argument!" yelled the leader.

"Then you forced us upon you. HP Mode on!" Shailagh shouted, holding her hands to the sky. Little green and blue numbers appeared above everyone's heads for a second and then dimmed to transparency.

"What's that?" asked the mace-man.

"The Hit Point Spell," said Emily confidently, "Ensures that no one dies or can over-abuse powers. This makes it a much fairer fight."

"Whatever you do, it won't help you now. Get them!" called the mage, waving her wand.

"Let's begin," said Steffen.

The view shattered and they were replaced in a much better battlefield-like setting. Fatalize, the battle music the Americans loved, quickly filled the air. As the bewildered Bandit Brigade tried to figure out just what the heck was going on, the others got to work.

"Die!" hissed Steffen, getting into a sword-fight with the other swords man.

"Scared powers, protect us!" Matt chanted from the back, and the mana surrounded his body, allowing the two white blobs of it to flow up and around him and escape, "FIELD BARRIER!"

"Thanks," said Emily, who charted the archers, deciding to take out the long-ranged people first.

"Feel true power," Shailagh said shooting a purple blast from her hands that took the axe-man in the face. She then proceeded to fight him and the mace-man at the same time, swinging the dangerous weapon with even more dangerous power behind it.

"Good-bye… SPREAD!" Matt sang happily, sending a jet of water at the mage. It flew up, taking her with it, and throwing her about twenty feet into the air. She landed on her back for further HP loss.

"Eternal Damnation!" Steffen shouted, slamming the sword into the ground, sending a shockwave into the air. He then leapt about eight or so feet, swinging the sword around his head, and then drove it into the ground, slamming dozens of rocks up from the ground and dashing both the axe- and sword-men.

"Get away from them!" Emily said, having stepped back a few feet from the fight. A green mana erupted around her, like it had done to Matt. She waved her sword and shouted, "AIR THRUST!"

The only difference between the game and the daydream was that Air Thrust physically pushed back enemies while Air Blade sliced them up the way Air Thrust did on the game. Either way, the archers were thrown backwards and into a tree. One of them had reached zero HP and he passed out.

"Hyah!" shouted the sword man, catching Steffen in a cheap shot to the ribs.

"HEY!" Steffen roared, now surrounded in a black aura.

"Oh boy. He's in Overlimit," Matt said.

"This'll be good," said Shailagh, who had just finished knocking out the axe-person.

"You pissed me off and now you'll pay," said Steffen as blackness surrounded him and his opponent.

With a mighty swipe of his sword, one that sliced fire through the air, Steffen knocked the guy to the ground. The ground around him exploded and Steffen jumped about ten feet into the air. The scene froze as his face appeared, contorted with rage, on a red bar of doom.

"Now face my fury!" Steffen roared, shooting right to the ground, impaling the sword through him and causing a massive explosion from the ground area. The sword-man went down, having taken massive damage.

"Wow. Nice Hi-Ougi, Steffen," complimented Shailagh.

Steffen nodded, breathing too hard to respond. Matt rushed up and tapped the mage, causing 2 HP damage and knocking her out. She wailed and the view moved to their victory dances.

"Ready?" Matt said, "BILLLLLAAAAAYYYY! DON'T FORGET YOUR SANDWHICHESSSSSS!"

"Why does he get the victory quote?" complained Steffen, "I did all the work…"

"Stop complaining, that quote's awesome," Emily said.

"We are such a dysfunctional group…" muttered Shailagh.

The view returned to the campsite, normal. The Bandit Brigade were lying unconscious on the ground, except for the sword man.

"We… underestimated… your… power…" he muttered, passing out.

"Heh, score one for us," Steffen said, which was followed by a… ringing noise?

"What's that…?" Matt asked as everything went black.

"That's all for today, see you tomorrow," Professor Binns said, leaving the room.

The Americans snapped awake. They were all slightly confused and out of it, wondering what they were supposed to be doing. When they got their bearings, they saw how Matt's Quick-Quotes Quill had completely covered six pieces of parchment, as well as three desks. Many of the notes were on Hephzibah's life, death, and social life. Emily quickly transferred the notes to some parchment, and they left for Divination.

"Good afternoon, my pupils…" said Professor Trelawney mysteriously during class, "I'm glad you would all join me once more… as I saw."

"Bet you didn't see us coming," said Steffen, a little louder than he meant.

"Eh?" said the crazy Professor, looking around, "Ah! Mr. Jamerson! I knew you'd be here!"

"… Jamerson?" Steffen said, "Try again."

"Ah…" said Professor Trelawney, going cross-eyed. Lillian and Shailagh glanced at the other three, scared looks on their faces. Bridget and company retreated to the far side of the room, doing their best go get away from the terrifying teacher, who looked like she was having an episode.

"Professor…?" asked Lillian, looking very concerned.

"Why, Madam LuPrussia! What a pleasant surprise…" said Professor Trelawney in a twittery voice, "Welcome to my picnic. We have friend shrimp and six cases of pickle juice, just like you wanted…"

"But I never ordered that… it sounds revolting," said Lillian.

"I think she's finally gone 'round the bend," said Bridget loudly, "We should leave."

"Oh… but you can't leave…" said Professor Trelawney, moving to her shelf and withdrawing a crystal ball, "We have to cut the rigatoni chicken bread!"

"The hell?" Emily asked, eyebrow raised.

"No! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! YOU CAN'T!" she shrieked, chucking the crystal ball at Prudence. The girl ducked out of the way and the others panicked and dove under tables.

Suddenly, the roof exploded and bits of debris landed on the ground. Two medi-wizards from St. Mungo's arrived, wands raised. Professor Trelawney suddenly found herself bound and gagged, stretched out against a board. The wizards assured the shocked students that they were simply taking the crazy Professor in for some tests and that she would be fine shortly. However, they did hear one complain about her escaping the facility before they left with the Divination teacher in tow.

"Wow. That was stupid," said Emily, "Not… unexpected, but stupid."

"Well, we've got another half hour free… whaddya wanna do?" Steffen asked.

"Not go to Herbology," Emily replied, "That class is bad."

"Agreed," said Steffen, "Let's visit the gryphons."

Ryzalk and Hyro were nestled next to each other when the teens arrived. Katrina was running repeatedly into a tree, attempting to knock down a branch to play with. The three stared for a minute and decided not to bother the gryphons, and instead turned to go back to the castle. They had only made it to bridge, however, when an angry cry came from behind.

"Mr. Jett! Miss Davis! Freeze!" Professor Sprout shouted. Next to her, they could see Malfoy, grinning delightedly.

"Oh crap," muttered Matt.

"What do you think you're doing!" she snarled at them, "What do you think gives you all the right to skip Herbology?"

"What?" said Emily.

"I repeat: What do you think—" began Professor Sprout.

"We didn't feel like going," Steffen cut her off, "And it seems Malfoy—"

"Malfoy only informed me as to why you two were absent. I see Warren is—"

"Doing nothing wrong, so don't bring him into this," said Emily angrily.

"Excuse me?" Professor Sprout hissed, "You will not speak to me in that manner, Ms. Davis. I should have expected it from you, but, nevertheless, you are not to speak to me or any teacher in that manner."

"Sorry, Your Highness," said Emily, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor!" exploded Professor Sprout, "And you will have a detention with me this Saturday for skipping class—"

"No, we won't," said Steffen, "We're done."

"Excuse me?" snarled the Herbology teacher.

"You heard me," repeated Steffen, "We're done. We're dropping Herbology. And we're never going to answer to you again."

"What?" screeched the Professor, "You can't do that!"

"We just did," said Emily as the three strode away.

"I can't believe you guys did that," Lisa said, wide-eyed.

"Yes, that wasn't very intelligent," added Lillian.

"Professor Sprout always seemed nice to me," said Rebecca.

"You guys are the only ones that can turn her into a demon," added Rachel.

The Americans sat in the Library that evening, along with Lisa, Jose, Lillian, Mateo, Shailagh, Rachel, and Rebecca. Each worked on various homework assignments, while Emily and Steffen shredded their Herbology homework and books (which was a very bold move in the vicinity of Madam Pince). As they sat there, they discussed the afternoon's events, from the Americans' fight with Professor Sprout, to the subsequent hearing with their Head of Houses, and, finally, the fact that they were banned from the Greenhouses.

"Makes me feel all warm inside," said Steffen, throwing the last shred of the cover to the ground, "What's next?"

"I don't care," Emily said, throwing her papers into the air like confetti, "Let's get milkshakes!"

"Yay! Milkshakes!" squealed Rebecca and Rachel, slamming their books shut and jumping up quickly.

"Honestly, are you all _trying_ to attract Madam Pince? Between your book-defacing and your loudness…" began Lillian.

"Matt? You're very quiet," said Jose.

Matt looked up from the spot he'd been staring at on the desk. The others looked back at him. In his head, he'd been debating about something he'd considered doing for weeks, and he finally reached a decision. He stood, and his friends continued to keep their eyes on him.

"I'm going to drop Potions," Matt said, "I'll go hand in my final assignment and tell him I've had enough and I'm sorry that I wasted his time."

"Oh boy… have fun with that," said Steffen, "Want us to come?"

"No, it's alright. Meet you in the Kitchen, make sure I get a vanilla," Matt said, waving.

"Right!" called Emily.

Matt made his way to Slughorn's office without trouble. It was still only quarter to eight, plenty of time to roam the corridors. When he knocked on the large Professor's door, it was opened a crack and Professor Slughorn peeked out, flinging it open when he saw who it was.

"Mr. Warren! So nice of you to arrive! Come in, come in, I was just about to have some delicious—" he began, standing aside.

"Sir, I've come to ask you something," said Matt.

"Eh? If it's about Horocruxes, I—" Slughorn began.

"No," said Matt, not having the faintest idea of what Horocruxes could be, "I just… wanted… … sir, I think I need to drop Potions."

"Really? Why?" asked the large, old man.

"Well… I mean, you've seen how stuff magically jumps out of my hands and throws itself into the cauldrons… and I am almost positive that a coupe people have bought life insurance policies, based on that…"

"Is that all? Well, maybe with extra lessons—" he began.

"No!" Matt said, slightly more forcefully than intended, "I mean… no, sir, that's the main problem. I've already stretched myself to capacity on classes. I barely get my homework done, and the grades have suffered slightly because of that. Don't get me wrong, you're a much better Potions Master than Snape ever was, and your encouragement is the only reason I haven't died in there yet… but…"

"So, you're just trying to save your sanity?" suggested the Potions Master.

"Yes," Matt said, simply.

"You know, Warren, I've always thought that you, Miss Davis, and Mr. Jett were extremely intelligent. You proved my theory just now," he said.

"How so?" Matt asked, perplexed.

"Why, by choosing to drop these courses!" exclaimed Professor Slughorn, "You all know that intelligence and creativity can be compromised by overexerting yourself. Your dropping my class and the other two dropping Herbology are just you all making sure you play to your strengths, correct?"

"Yes," said Matt, nodding, though inside he was thinking, _What the…?_

"Well, then, I see no problem in it. I'll just give you an A as your final grade, is that okay with you?" he said.

"Sure," Matt said, handing him a parchment, "This is my final homework grade, I hope you enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will," he said, placing it on his desk, "Now run along, you look like there's somewhere else you need to be."

"There certainly is," Matt said, longing for nice, thick milkshake, "Thank you for being so understanding, Professor, sorry to waste your time all year."

"Waste? I should think not!" laughed Slughorn, "Best in-class entertainment we've ever had! You'll be missed!"

"… thank you," Matt said, sighing and leaving.

He plodded down the hallway, his footsteps echoing off the stone floor. Just as he turned to the hallway leading to the kitchen, he slammed into Harry and Hermione, both of whom were presumably heading for the Library. They all swore and were knocked to the floor, books and papers flying everywhere.

"Sorry, guys," Matt said, standing up and helping the others to their feet, "I wasn't paying attention."

"It's alright," said Hermione, "Where are you headed from?"

"Slughorn's. I dropped Potions," said Matt.

"Really? What'd he say?" asked Harry, who had just fixed his glasses and retrieved his wand.

"Not much. Something about me and Emily and Steffen being smart. And he flipped out about Horocruxes or something at first, but I don't—"

"You know about Horocruxes!" the two gasped in unison.

"… er… no," said Matt in a small voice, "I haven't a clue. Why does everyone get upset by them?"

"I don't know," said Hermione quickly, "Nevermind, forget it."

"Well… okay… bye, then," Matt said, walking down the hallway.

Harry and Hermione hurried away, whispering to each other. Matt sighed and continued to walk towards the kitchen. He was surprised when he saw Hagrid with all of his friends, he himself clutching a milkshake that dwarfed the others by a few times.

"Matt!" called Emily, "Good news!"

"What?" Matt said, accepting his milkshake from Jose.

"Ryzalk is pregnant!" Emily replied gleefully.

"Really? That's great news!" said Matt, happily, "By Hyro?"

"Yep. They're gonna have a bebee!" Emily said, dancing around.

"Righ'," said Hagrid, "An' she's far 'nuff along now tha' e'll be born before th' end o' th' year!"

"Yay!" squealed Emily.

"She's very excited," pointed out Rebecca, sipping her strawberry shake.

"Damn straight," said Steffen, who looked thrilled as well, "I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl…"

Hagrid excused the Americans and most of their Care of Magical Creatures class from all lessons on Friday so they could go be with Ryzalk and Hyro. The couple stared at the class as Hagrid explained the developmental process of gryphons, as well as how the mother and father would act as the time grew nearer. Then he had them sit and observe for a few minutes while he went and took Fang for his daily walk in the woods. This left the Americans time to converse amongst themselves about Dr. Tavoularius's advice.

"She's very set on us going to Seaside," Matt said, "She doesn't seem like the type to try and just coerce us into something because the government says so."

"And she is right," said Emily, "About us not being allowed out of the country again."

"I don't know," said Steffen, "After putting up with Salem's disappointments and coming here, I have to say this place is about a billion times better."

"I disagree," said Matt, "Seaside looked amazing, and they offer better courses and lodgings."

"And it's by the sea," Emily said, "But I agree with Steffen. I'd hate to leave this place, especially now that Hyro and Ryzalk are gonna have a little bebee gryphon."

"I suppose we don't have to make the decision until later," said Steffen, grumbling.

"No, we need to make it before Dr. Tavoularius leaves," Matt said, "Otherwise we'll never come up with a decision and then it'll be made for us."

"But… … you're right," Emily said, "The main reason I want to go to Hogwarts next year is because of the little gryphons. But I'm getting sick of all the crap we're getting this year, especially from Sprout and Snape…"

"And I think Seaside looks wonderful. And who knows what other classes they'll have that can benefit us in later life? Plus… we wouldn't have to get past the American Wizard Authorities or whatever they're called, to go to school."

"I suppose you're right. But, like I said, Hogwarts seems like such a nicer place, even if the hierarchy is still here…" Steffen said.

That weekend, the three continued to talk about it. They covered all the aspects: classes, location, lodgings, legal issues… and then they talked about the more serious stuff. With Voldemort prowling around, none of them were safe. In fact, they might become targets since they were foreign, and yet so far involved. They didn't want to have to risk their families' lives just because they didn't want to follow the laws. It was a difficult decision, and it kept them all up at night for hours on end. Finally, Monday morning arrived, the final day of Dr. Tavoularius' visit. The three barely listened as she quickly went over all the stuff Snape expected them to know, though only in the last few minutes. Finally, the bell rang and their friends left, looking depressed that Snape would return.

The three approached the teachers' desk. The American witch began to store all of her books inside a small, leather suitcase. She checked to see all her notes were in order, he quills ready, her ink bottles fixed. She looked up at the Americans and smiled.

"You look troubled. Reached a decision, I take it?" she said.

"Yes," said Matt, nodding.

"Well?"

"… We'd like to go to Seaside next year," Steffen said in a slightly hollow voice.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**If you somehow managed to stay awake and not die during that whole Chapter, have a cookie. I know it was uninteresting and kinda plot less, but I guarantee the next few Chapters (the first of which starts in early February, and should be up before March) are going to be well worth the wait. As the story begins to wind down, I actually wonder which ending I shall use. Hm…**


	13. Ch 13: Fighting the Powers that Be

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Well, here it is: Chapter 13. The first Chapter I've actually had planned out since… Chapter 11 XD. Anyway, this chapter is also rather uninteresting, but there is a pleasant surprise at the end of it. However… you won't understand it if you look ahead just to see what it is, so you'll have to read everything. Rest assured, the last few chapters are going to get more exciting as I manage to tie the bonds of fate with the Trio, as well as the Americans and a few other characters. Enjoy Chapter 13.**

Chapter 13: Fighting the Powers That Be

"… so you're really not going to be here next year?" said Lisa softly as the Ravenclaws and Emily sat in a deserted corner in the Courtyard on the first day in February. It was a Saturday, and Apparition lessons were due to begin in about two hours.

"Yeah," said Matt, "It's for the best."

"And this way none of you can be targeted for death because you're friends with us," added Emily.

"Plus, if we set foot out of America again, the American Wizarding Bureau will be all over us, so… yeah," said Steffen.

"Say what you want," said Jack lazily, sprawled out across a bench, his head on Melody's lap, "You said you wouldn't come back after last year, but look, here you are again."

"Well, we weren't under death threats from three different parties at that point," Emily said, "But enough about that, we've got to get to those wonderful Apparition lessons."

"This will be exceptionally useful," said Dakota, "Especially when we need to make hasty exits…"

"Though remember, it doesn't work inside Hogwarts," Mandy reminded him.

"Thanks, Hermione," said Blaine, rolling his eyes, "Have you managed to memorize Hogwarts, A History as will?"

"Oh ha, ha, so funny," Mandy said, elbowing him hard in the abdomen.

When they reached the Great Hall, it had begun to rain. They were among the first to arrive, about ten or so minutes early. As the Hall filled around them, the Americans and Ravenclaws glanced around, trying to figure out who would be instructing them. McGonagall, Snape, Sinistra, and Sprout were all standing in front of the group of students while they assembled. A fifth wizard, small, pale, and almost cadaverous, stood next to them, chatting.

"He's going to teach us to Apparate?" asked Blaine incredulously, "He looks like one good blow would finish him off…"

"That's not very nice," said Rachel, frowning, "That's Wilkie Twycross; he's been doing this for forty years."

"He's actually very good. He could Apparate to Sydney and back and it wouldn't faze him in the least," said Nate, "He'd still be able to run a lap around Hogwarts."

"Your attention," Professor McGonagall called, "Your attention please! Thank you. As soon as you're all quiet, we may begin…"

"Good morning," said the elderly man, his voice a little squeaky and hard to understand, "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in this time…"

"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" Professor McGonagall suddenly called.

The Americans glanced around. Malfoy flushed pink a little and hastily turned from Crabbe, who looked pissed. They exchanged glances and then turned their attention back to the old man, who had resumed his lecture as though there had been no interruption.

"… by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests. As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try. I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."

The Ravenclaws immediately moved to the front of the hall, each vying to be one of the first to go. Finally, after a heated argument erupted between Dakota and Blaine, Professor Sinistra sent them six people back and allowed Rachel and Mandy to assume the front of the line. Both girls smirked and tossed their hair back as the boys were shoved to the back. Matt, Emily, and Steffen were also close to the front of the group, with Shailagh, Jose, and Mateo within talking distance.

"QUIET!" shouted the heads of House at the same time, brining immediate silence to the hall.

"Thank you," said Wilkie, "Now, then..."

He waved his wand and wooden hoops instantly materialized on the floor in front of all the students. The Americans exchanged glances at this and wondered what they were supposed to do. Emily walked over, picked one up, and began to hula-hoop with it. A few people around her snickered, but Professor McGonagall looked rather severely in direction, so Emily desisted.

"Good guess," Wilkie Twycross said, "But I'm afraid not. The important thing to remember when Apparating are the three D's! Destination, Determination, Deliberation! Step one: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired _destination_. In this case… the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon this destination now."

Everyone around them immediately did one of three things: squeezed their eyes shut, stared fixedly at their hoops, or panicked and looked around to see what their friends were doing. Emily and Matt shrugged and focused on their hoop, while Steffen squeezed his eyes shut and pointed towards the hoop.

"Step two," came Wilkie's voice, "focus your _determination_ to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"

Now it looked as though everyone was trying to shove their skeletons out of their flesh. Their faces were red, their eyes bloodshot, and their breath irregular. Matt found himself suddenly light-headed and realized he had been holding his breath for over a minute. The other two Americans and Shailagh each shook their heads in disgust and resumed focus on their hoop.

"Step three, and only when I give the command… turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with _deliberation_! On my command, now… one…"

"Eh? What do we do?" Jose asked, looking confused.

"… two…"

"Here we go!" Matt said, preparing to spin.

"THREE!"

When the command had been given, everyone in the great hall had a mass seizure. Many had suddenly found themselves on the ground or stumbling into their partner. Matt had spun a little too forcefully, causing him to rocket off and slam into Nathaniel, knocking both to the ground. Emily had spun and, because of her bad ankle, slipped and fallen onto her back. Steffen had spun and half-jumped, causing him to stutter-step and land on the hoop. Mateo had done such a forceful leap that he sailed right past his hoop and collided with Jo Hammet. Lisa and Jose had both aimed for the same hoop and landed on top of each other. The only Sixth Year to have any results was Shailagh, who had managed to move an inch and wasn't stepping around strangely. She snapped her fingers and reset herself.

"Never mind, never mind," said Twycross in a flat, emotionless voice, "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions…"

"What, does he want us to do it right the first time with no real explanation!" Steffen muttered angrily.

"That was weird," Matt said, "Fun, but weird."

"Gah…" Emily said, massaging her ankle, "This is very painful…"

"Not of you do it right," said Shailagh, "Dad was teaching me to do this over the summer."

"Really? Did you?" asked Matt quietly.

"No, I never fully got the hang of it. Too risky," she said as Twycross prompted them again.

This time, Matt had landed in his hoop, though this was on his face and not his feet. Emily had managed to gain her balance, but all she had done is a ballerina leap into the air. Steffen tripped over his feet again, while Jose, Lisa, and Mateo had missed their hoops completely. Shailagh again turned on the spot, and almost seemed to disappear slightly.

The third time was the worst one yet. Matt forced himself to jump so forcefully that he had done a round-house kick into Dakota, who was knocked into Blaine, which created a nice domino effect throughout half the students. Emily had done a lot like her second attempt, but when she landed on the hoop it sprung up and hit her in the face. Steffen finally managed to land inside his hoop as well, though very painfully on his left arm. Lisa and Jose had become human dominoes, thanks to Matt, and Mateo was hastily explaining to an irate Jo why he had slammed into her a second time. Shailagh, still looking frustrated, had managed to move two inches backwards instead of forward.

By the fourth time, the same time Susan Bones had Splinched herself, the Americans and friends realized it was entirely pointless to try. Instead, they spent the rest of the hour-long lesson performing spectacular leaps into their hoops, screaming random things as they did so. This greatly amused their friends, though annoyed many of the more serious people.

"Shut up!" Hermione finally shouted when the lesson was almost over, "You're ruining my concentration!"

"Pudding!" Matt screamed as he spun around a few times and landed in his hoop.

"AURGAH!" Emily screamed, jumping and spinning into her own hoop.

"My God…" Steffen muttered, "YAAAAY!"

He leapt into his hoop as well. Around him, the others had all but given up Apparition, and had joined in the game of screaming and spinning. Finally, at the end of the lesson, they were all in need of a rest, and, in many cases, some pain killers. Twycross vanished the hoops, told them to remember the three D's, and left quickly, his footsteps echoing off the Great Hall.

"That man is evil," said Melody as they left the Great Hall, "Pure evil. I'm never going to get this…"

"I can't figure out why I keep going backwards," Shailagh said, "What am I doing wrong?"

"I… can't feel my legs," Matt said, tapping the left one, "The nerves have died."

"My ankle hurts… stupid screws…" Emily said.

"At least we don't have to do that for another week…" said Steffen, flatly.

The second week was almost as boring as the first. Although six new students had Splinched themselves, one of whom was Shailagh, who had left her right ear and much of her left leg behind as she landed in the hoop; no one had actually managed to move yet. Wilkie Twycross was already getting some rather unpleasant nicknames from the students.

Meanwhile, the teachers continued to tax the students to almost their breaking points as the lessons continued. The work was becoming much harder, the spells becoming more draining, and almost everyone found themselves praying for Snape to have a heart attack so Dr. Tavoularius would return to take over Defense Against the Dark Arts. Even down a class each, the Americans found themselves barely on top of their work, and each had a small twinge of worry that they would be taken back to America by force.

In the second week of January, Professor Sinistra announced that all students were to clean out their workspaces and such in the Ravenclaw Common Room. After Monday night's lessons, the Ravenclaw boys found themselves digging through their beds, desks, and chairs to find any trash and throw it out. Typically, they were soon involved in a paper war, all except for Matt who was actually trying to clean up his work space.

"Repellio," he said lazily, pointing his wand over his shoulder.

The paper Blaine had just chucked at him froze in mid-air and then shot right back at the assailant, hitting him squarely in the nose. Matt, meanwhile, dug into the top drawer of his desk and felt something fluffy in the back.

"Huh?" Matt said, attempting to grab it.

The furry thing shuddered and then started slamming itself around inside the drawer. Matt withdrew his hand very quickly and watched as Cyclone shot straight out of the desk, knocking about half-a-dozen scraps of paper out with him. As the American tried to capture the panicked bird, Steffen glanced down at one of the papers; an order form for trophies.

"What's this, Matt?" Steffen asked, holding it up.

"Hm?" Matt said, giving up his attempts at grabbing the hummingbird, "Oh, that was… for the Inter-House League. I was going to get trophies for the winners. I guess that… didn't work out…"

"Yeah… sorry," Steffen said, glancing down at the moving pictures, "Some of these are really cool…"

"Oh, yeah," Matt said, pointing to one with a dragon carved into it, "That was the one I was going to get for the overall winner..."

He smiled a little sadly at the picture and glanced to his calendar. Steffen followed his eyes and saw that today, February 9th, was to be the second game. Matt sighed and continued to clean out his desk, while Cyclone collided into the wall above him, his beak jammed into the framework.

The next couple of weeks in February found Matt becoming slightly more withdrawn and depressed. He spent most of his class times gazing longingly at the Quidditch Pitch, sometimes for many minutes on end. Emily and Steffen both noticed this change, and when Matt Splinched himself into six pieces during their third Apparition lesson, they realized they had to do something before Matt dove into depression.

"Well, he obviously wants the Inter-House League to return," said Emily when she, Steffen, and Shailagh sat in a study room during the third Tuesday. Matt was in Divination, and Shailagh was skipping because her head had been hurting her that morning.

"We all do," said Steffen, "I was hoping we'd get to bash the Seniors in our next tournament…"

"Yes," said Shailagh, who looked thoughtful, "But I think Matt wanted to have the League back for a different reason."

"How so?" asked Steffen.

"Well, for him, it made him feel like he was making a difference at Hogwarts, especially by bridging some of the gaps with the houses. You've noticed, I'm sure how at least a small number of Slytherins are now friendly with others, thanks mainly to Jo? Matt liked to think he had a part in that," explained the Irish girl.

"Makes sense," said Emily, "And he even wanted to get those trophies, too. It sucks that it got cancelled. There's gotta be something we can do…"

"I have an idea," said Shailagh, "But it's going to take a lot of work from us, as well as the other teams. We'll meet on Saturday, and plan a meeting with a few Professors next Sunday."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Steffen, looking excited.

"Well…" Shailagh said, but then was cut off as Matt entered.

"I was wondering where you guys were," said Matt, "I've looked everywhere."

"Why are you here so early?" asked Emily.

"Trelawney had a panic attack and locked herself in the closet," Matt said, flatly, "Then she started screaming about something, and I think she mentioned gnomes eating her toes."

"Did she overdose again?" Steffen grumbled.

"No, she was clean this time," Matt said, picking up his bag, "Anyway, I'm going to History of Magic to clarify a few things with Binns. See you guys later."

"He's going to use his Daydream Charm," Steffen said, while the girls nodded.

"So, anyway, here's what I had in mind," Shailagh said, bending her head slightly lower for a private discussion.

By Saturday morning, word had reached the entire Inter-House League that there was going to be an emergency meeting in the Great Hall on Saturday. At ten, most of the teams had assembled, many intermixing for the first time (though Salazar's Finest and Helga's Hell-Raisers remained resolutely on opposite sides of the Hall). Emily and Steffen were the only two to stand before them; Matt didn't know about the meeting and Shailagh didn't feel it was her place to help run the show. So, the mediocre Seer sat with the rest of the Burritos, waiting patiently for the meeting to start.

"Alright, quiet down!" Emily shouted, "Pay attention!"

"Is this going to take long?" asked Zacharias Smith from the back, "I've got O.W.L.s work to do…"

"Smith, if you don't shut the hell up, I'll hex you to Liverpool and back," Steffen snarled, "We're not fooling around, this is serious."

"Could've fooled us," Esme Carter said from Salazar's Finest, "What do you want?"

"Steffen," Emily muttered quickly, "It's obvious this is going to take some time, so don't lose your temper, alright?"

"I'll be fine, as long as you don't get pissed either," Steffen replied in a low voice.

"Alright," Emily said, louder, "I'm happy to see that you're all still interested in the Inter-House League. Yes, we know it's been cancelled, and that's exactly why we've called you here today."

"Going to reprimand us some more?" Horace Putney asked from the Hell-Raiser's little group.

"Everyone, shut up!" screamed someone, and many were shocked to see Lillian Sicily standing up, a little embarrassed, but determined none-the-less, "We're here to try and help you, and all you idiots can do is sit there and make wisecracks. Let them explain themselves, and then you can make a decision, alright?"

It was the sole fact that it was Lillian Sicily who had lost her temper that made everyone shut up. She had never so much as raised her voice to anyone before, let alone shouted at almost seventy-five students about behaving. She suddenly turned red and sat down quickly, looking apologetically to the two Americans.

"Thanks, Lillian," said Emily, "Now, we know you all miss Quidditch as much as we do, so we have a proposal for you."

The listening in the room intensified. It was clear that everyone was interested in what was going to be said next. The Americans made sure every face looked sincere before they continued with their speech.

"We want to bring back the Inter-House League, but we need your help to do so," said Emily.

"What can we do?" asked Isabel Moon, she and her friends standing on a table so they could see.

"We need to prove to the Professors that we can be mature and sportsman-like during the Inter-House League," said Steffen, "Which seemed to be a huge problem for us last time.

"But we do believe that you've all matured, at least a little bit," continued Steffen, "And I think, as long as we have proof that can rebuke anything the Professors have to say, we can convince them to listen to us."

"What do we need to prove?" asked a curious Renee Lorenzo.

"That the Inter-House League actually made things better," replied Emily.

"Yes. Jo, sorry to single you out, but you are the perfect example of what we were trying to achieve when we started the league," said Steffen.

Jo nodded, not looking the least bit annoyed by being singled out. Many of Salazar's Finest gave looks of venom in her general direction, but she was blissfully unaware. Besides, Jo was much tougher than she looked, and had a way of turning people on each other with words (which she did had a delightful time doing in the Slytherin Common Room).

"So we all just need to be friends with the Slytherins and other houses?" asked Daren Backshaw, one of the Seniors.

"No, that won't work," said Emily, "What we need to do is get candids and statistics of people doing friendly things with other houses."

"Who should we talk to?" asked Ginny, looking keenly interested now.

"Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch, Filch, and the non-Heads of House Professors," replied Steffen, "And get Colin Creevy of Gryffindor to lend you a few cameras if you need them. We're going to have to go all out if we want this to work."

"What else can we do?" asked Lloyd Irving, one of Flower Power's Beaters.

"Be extra courteous to others, especially our Professors. Also, don't pick any fights with other houses, and encourage your friends to follow these steps. If we do all this… we might just get them to side with us," Emily replied.

"You know this has about a zero percent chance of working," Yancy Carter said from the table.

"It's a chance we need to take. And don't say anything about this to Matt, we want it to be a surprise," warned Steffen as the bell signaling lunch rang.

The course of the next week was spent on homework or, in the Inter-House League's cases, gathering pictures and information from all sources. On Monday, Colin Creevy handed out six cameras to various students of all ages, and by Tuesday night, he was swamped with orders to develop the cameras. Though some of portion of these pictures were arranged and not candids, the Americans accepted them all the same, hoping they would help sway the argument.

On Wednesday, the Superior Seven, all of whom had taken the initiative to get the required statistics, present their findings to the Americans. Whether it was luck or really a spin-off of the Inter-House League, all between-house violence had decreased compared to the previous year. There was a minor exception with Hufflepuff, something Emily and Steffen couldn't wait to point out to Professor Sprout.

Thursday was they day they made the plans with their Professors. They had to be very official about it, and Professor McGonagall regarded them very coldly before she allowed them to request a "trial," as they called it.

"You must get Professors Snape, Sinistra, and Sprout to agree to it, as well as two other staff members," said Professor McGonagall, "I would be glad to hear you out, but unless the other Heads of House agree to it, your request is denied."

"Who should we ask?" asked Emily.

"Any capable staff member," replied the Transfiguration teacher.

"So at the very least, Filch is out," said Steffen.

"Very good call, Mr. Jett," said Professor McGonagall, marching away.

"Dumbledore isn't here, so… let's ask Slughorn and…" Steffen began to mutter.

"Trelawney!" Emily cackled, eyes flashing maliciously.

"Yes," Steffen nodded, concurring.

It took very little to persuade Professors Sinistra and Trelawney (they had to promise the latter that there were going to be no hunchbacks with a taste for gallbladders and that she was assured of some pork chops when it was over). However… they spent nearly an hour combined time for Snape and Sprout, both of whom had flatly refused at first and were finally worn down to saying yes, after a ton of complaints from each.

On Friday, they chose their speakers, since they would probably allot no more than half an hour to forty-five minutes. They had to choose people that represented all the groups of students, ones the teachers would respect, and ones could be counted on to keep their temperatures under control. Their final selection included Maria Martine for looks, Lillian for sincerity and a slightly more official air, and Jo Hammet for their secret weapon. Sunday morning, the five students left the Great Hall, all the Inter-House League members holding their breath.

"Have we gotten everything?" asked Steffen, "And do we all know what we're doing?"

"I'm showing these awesome pictures," said Maria, holding a stack under her arm, "And explaining how the aura of the school has improved."

"I'm using stats and figures," said Lillian, also holding on to an extensive amount of parchment, "All the information everyone gathered can and will be helpful in various ways."

"And I'm the 'my life has changed for the better since I joined' person," Jo said, arms crossed, "Yeah, we got it."

"Alright, then let's go," said Emily, taking the lead.

The mini-trial was to take place in Professor Slughorn's office since it was the biggest. Emily, Steffen, Maria, Lillian, and Jo made their way silently to the floor it was on, none having any reason to speak. Each was mentally running through their speeches, hoping to fine-tune anything that sounded weak or gave the least bit of doubt. When they made it to the door, they froze for a second. After about half a minute, Maria opened the door and allowed the others to enter.

The room was absent of any fancy decorations at this time. It was very plain, with two desks side-by-side near the back of the room. At these desks sat Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, Sinistra, Slughorn, and Trelawney. They all looked back at the students, noting that there was one from each of their houses. Five seats sat about ten feet in front of them, facing the panel of judges. The Americans, Maria, Lillian, and Jo took a seat each and looked back to the teachers.

"Welcome to my study," said Professor Slughorn, "I assure you, it's much more extravagant during regular hours, but, for today's purposes, this works fine."

"I trust you five know why you are here?" prompted Professor McGonagall.

"Yes," said Emily as she and Steffen stood, "We're here to appeal your decision to cancel the Inter-House Quidditch League two months ago."

"There was a reason we cancelled it, Miss Davis," said Professor Sprout with more than a hint of venom, "The sport was too violent, on and off the field."

"With all due respect," said Steffen, actually attempting to put respect into his voice, "We have information that will prove that statement false."

"I highly doubt it, Mr. Jett," said Snape, "I can assure you, anything you have to say will be entirely false, especially if you don't cite sources—"

"We've done that as well," interrupted Emily, "We'd first like to submit photographic evidence. Maria, if you would?"

"Yes," said Maria, standing while the Americans resumed their seats, "I'd like you to take a look at these pictures."

She handed a few pictures to each of the staff members (Professor Trelawney took one wearily as though she were afraid it was going to bite her in the eyes). They glanced through the snapshots, passing them on to the person next to them. Professor Sinistra looked very thoughtful, though the rest of the staff either had unfathomable expressions, or looks of skepticism.

"As you can see," Maria explained, holding up a few pictures to explain, "These pictures have been taken in the past weeks, and they have shown better feelings between houses. Here we have a few Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws working together on Charms homework—"

"Probably all just copying from the little Moon girl," Professor Snape said dismissively.

"… and in this one," Maria said, not the least bit flustered, "We have a Ravenclaw Seventh Year helping a few younger Slytherins and Hufflepuffs with their homework."

"I think he was just breaking up a fight," said Professor Sprout, trying to remember.

"And _here_," Maria said, a small edge to her voice, "We have half a dozen Gryffindors and _Slytherins_ working together."

This caught the attention of all the Professors. Indeed, two Slytherin and three Gryffindor girls, as well as a fourth Gryffindor boy, were comparing notes on Transfiguration. The two Slytherins were Sixth Years and friends of Jo, and they looked perfectly happy to be sitting with their houses "enemies."

"This is all fine and good," said Professor McGonagall, "But it still doesn't prove that ill-will has gone down between the houses at all…"

"And for that, we turn to Lillian," said Steffen.

Lillian stood up a little quicker than was necessary and moved to the teacher's desk. With trembling hands, she handed each teacher a three-parchment thick report on the crime rates, as well as quotes from other teachers. She even included a separate citation page, which she also handed out. She then stood in front of the teachers, looking for the thing she wanted to start with.

"As you can see," said the Hufflepuff girl in a small voice, "Since the Inter-House League has formed, the difference in between-house violence has dropped at a rate of no less than three percent. As shown on page two, paragraph seven… 'I have seen a great decrease in the number of students entering the Hospital Wing with injuries due to House competition violence.' Madam Pomfrey said this when Rachel Smith interviewed her last Monday night, and—"

"Has it not come to your attention that, perhaps, students have not been turning themselves in for fear of future retribution?" asked Snape, coolly.

"And that is why on page one, paragraph 17," Lillian covered quickly, "Argus Filch states, and I quote, 'Mrs. Norris and I have had to give detention to far fewer students due to rivalry violence. It's mostly defacing the castle. Now clear off before I have you expelled!' This quote was captured by Adrianna Reynolds, who received six scratches from Mrs. Norris on her left leg."

"So you say that this information is reliable, correct?" asked Slughorn, "I see you've kept a month-by-month report…"

"Yes," said Lillian, "On page three, we have a detailed breakdown of the arguments, fights, and injuries, as reported by Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch, Mr. Filch, and a few other anonymous staff sources."

"Why not tell us who they are? How can we credit this?" asked Snape.

"They asked to remain anonymous," said Lillian with a shrug, "I fulfilled their wish as a source to remain such."

"I see," Snape said.

"As you can see at the bottom, comparing the violence rates of February and September, there were only thirteen report incidents thus far in the month, down over thirty-five percent. It had been on a steady rise before the Inter-House League began."

"Thos are still statistics," said Professor Sprout dismissively, "It doesn't give us any real proof that it worked."

Jo stood up before she was called upon. Her face was set, her dark eyes almost glowing slightly. She marched up next to Lillian, who scuttled back to her seat. Jo stood there, glaring at Professor Sprout for a full ten seconds before she spoke.

"Professor, do you remember what I was sent to the Headmaster and almost expelled for when I was in the Third Year?" asked Jo in a cold voice.

"Why, yes, I do," said Professor Sprout, "You had verbally and physically abused three Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students—"

"Exactly," Jo said, "When I was that young, and even up until this year, I always thought Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were a bunch of losers, a lower class. People not worthy of my time. That's how a lot of Slytherins think, I'm afraid.

"I originally joined Intransigence on a dare. They saw how it was all girls from different houses, and many Slytherins don't like Adrianna Reynolds. So, I joined the team to make her life, as well as those around her, miserable. Well, I don't know if it was the being-up-at-five-in-the-morning-every-day or the fact that I'm just weak, but I soon grew to like Adrianna, as well as the rest of the girls on the team, even if they weren't Slytherin—"

"Does this story have relevance?" Professor Sprout interrupted.

"I would think that would be obvious," Jo said, her voice sliding into an even colder temperature, "_I_ am the living proof you just asked for. You've seen photographs, statistics from other staff members, and you can still sit there and say, 'Oh, no, that can't be the reason!' Well, I got news for you, Professor: it helped me and about ten other Slytherins accept others for who they are. Many of our house still can't see eye-to-eye with us on that, but, if it hadn't been for the Inter-House League, I'd still hate them, and I might be included in those statistics Lillian was kind enough to give you."

"Thank you, Miss Hammet, you may resume your seat," said Professor McGonagall with a note of finality in her voice, "If none of you have anything else to add, we'd like to deliberate amongst ourselves. So… if you would please…"

The group left the room and headed into the hallway. All of them expressed gratitude to Jo, who had resumed a lack-of-emotion image, though her eyes shined with pride. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Professor McGonagall called them back inside to read the verdicts.

"I will go first," said Professor McGonagall, clearing her throat, "It is clear to me that you put a lot of effort into proving your point. You backed yourself up with plenty of evidence, facts, and photographs. I'm not wholly convinced on the violence issue, but if it can make one student less prejudice, I can see the good greatly outweighs the bad."

"Well said!" roared Professor Slughorn, "You kids obviously care enough about this to put everything on the line. The time you put into this shows that you are all going to be successful in your future lives someday, and you might even amount to more than I originally thought."

"You all handled this like mature adults," Professor Sinistra said, "Instead of resorting to childish tactics, you gathered information, sought meetings with us, and did everything in your power to keep this above the line. For this we are thankful."

"I do not like the attitude I received from Miss Hammet," said Professor Sprout, "The information is slightly biased, and there are many other factors that can contribute to the lowering of crime rates in the school. Plus, anonymous sources are much less creditable than known sources."

"Miss Sicily seemed a little under prepared," Snape said, reading from his notes, "Miss Hammet was a little too passionate, Miss Martine's photos seemed fake and set-up, and Mr. Jett and Miss Davis appeared to have not done a single thing, except call witness to the stand."

"I want my damn pork chop sandwiches!" wailed Professor Trelawney, slamming her head onto the desk and sleeping.

"Any last things you want to say?" asked McGonagall kindly.

"We've given you enough information, and we will not respond to any personal attacks," said Emily as Jo and Maria looked like they were going to say something.

"Fine. Permission granted," said Professor McGonagall simply.

"What?" gasped the students and Professors Snape and Sprout.

"You've proven to a majority of this panel that the Inter-House League did more good than bad, so we've decided to let this continue," said Professor McGonagall.

"How do you figure a majority, Professor?" asked Snape, coldly.

"Well, myself, Professor Sinistra, and Professor Slughorn all agree that it should be so. I assume you and Professor Sprout disagree. And Professor Trelawney is in her happy place, so she'll say yes to anything."

"Thank you so very much, Professor," said Lillian.

"Yeah… thanks…" Jo added.

"We won't let you down," Maria finished.

"You are excused," said Professor McGonagall, allowing a smile to creep onto her face. Emily and Steffen gave each other a smirk and left to tell everyone the great news.

"What do you guys want to show me?" asked Matt flatly as Emily and Steffen shoved him through the crowd.

"It's a surprise," said Steffen, "Hurry up."

"I'm never going to finish my essay…" Matt muttered.

"Grades are meaningless, there's something more important to attend to," Emily said.

"Is Katrina pregnant?" asked Matt.

"God no. She needs to be kept _out_ of the gene pool," said Steffen, earning looks of anger from both Matt and Emily, "… er… sorry…"

"Never mind. But we better make this quick," Matt said, pushing open the doors, "I—eh?"

Inside, everyone from the Inter-House League was standing with their robes on, broomsticks over their shoulders. They all clapped and cheered for the Americans when they entered, something that made Matt look like he was going to either explode or pass out.

"What's going on?" asked Matt, confused.

"The Inter-House League is back on!" roared Blaine, "All thanks to the Americans!"

Another round of clapping and cheering, while Emily and Steffen shoved Matt forward. They were going to have a mass practice session in honor of the restoration of the game. Matt still couldn't believe it, though he returned to his usual humor when they made their way towards the Pitch.

"You just wanted to make me get you those trophies, didn't you?" Matt said, walking with the Burritos.

"Of course! You didn't think we cared about you or anything, right?" Emily said, kicking off from the ground.

"Never would've considered it," Matt said, following his teammates.

**From The Author's Mind:**

**For those that disobeyed and read ahead: YOU CHEATERS! HA! JUST FOR YOU, THE LEAGUE REALLY DIDN'T START UP AGAIN AND YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW IT ENDS! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**For those of you that read the whole chapter: I'm sorry to make you sit through another boring chapter. And I'm also sorry that keeps running my entire chapters together so that there is no time separation. I'm working on a way to fix that in ToIPatWS (which my friend claims is NOT an abbreviation), but it won't work for Return to Hogwarts, so I'll just deal with it. Anyway… review, please. And I'll be getting to work on Chapter 14 as soon as I fix all the finer points together in my mind. And I'm thinking there's going to be around 20 Chapters in the book, and they'll all be good. Stay tuned, I won't forget you all!**


	14. Ch 14: Best Behaviors

**From the Author's Mind:**

**After another long wait, here is Chapter 14. It's winding down, I'm thinking… three or four more chapters after this one. I wanna be finished by the time I go to Mexico (June 20th), but… we'll see… Anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 14: Best Behaviors

With merely two weeks until the first of the final three Inter-House League games, the Americans found themselves bombarded with questions about practice times and an endless nightmare of scheduling. This was made worse by the fact that there was a Quidditch Match the first Saturday of March. The games were to be announced the Friday evening before the school match.

"I'm glad you're all here," Matt said, standing in a small corner of the Great Hall. All the Inter-House teams were there, as well as many curious bystanders who had decided to take an interest in the League, "There are only three games left, so it's time to start strategizing. Remember, just because you win the game does not mean you'll win the League, especially if you don't have enough points."

"But it doesn't matter; the Burritos will come back and take you all out," said Emily with a wide grin.

"We'll see, Davis," said Esme Carter, arms crossed, "When do we get to play you guys, huh?"

"Alright!" Matt said, "Let's see… first match-up… The Seniors versus Almighty!"

As was the custom, the two teams spent a minimum of thirty seconds just glaring at each other. Almighty broke the gaze first, leaving for practice. The Seniors remained behind to hear the rest of the outcomes.

"Second game… Intransigence versus Flower Power," Emily read the second one.

There was no glaring this time. The almost-exclusively female teams smiled at each other in a way most guys would think was friendly. To Emily's keen eye, she could tell the older girls were sure of their victory while the younger girls displayed the usual youthful innocence and egotism that she had come to expect of small children.

"Third match," Steffen read as the parchment shuffled out two more names, "Salazar's Finest versus the Superior Seven."

Mandy smirked at the Slytherins, all of whom leered back. There was a tense moment as they sat in a stare down, but this quickly ended with the Slytherins leaving for their ever-decreasing Pitch time. The Superior Seven also left, though this was to do homework, not discuss Quidditch tactics.

"Fourth up," Emily read, "Ahahaha… Sanchez's Flying Burritos versus Random Insanity!"

"And, of course," Matt said, allowing the parchment to finish shuffling the last two team names, "That leaves the Hogwarts Hotties to tango with Helga's Hell-Raisers."

"Easy victory," said Bernard, "Come on, guys, let's go."

"Whatever, Bernard," Bridget called after him, "You and your tacky team have no hope of beating the fabulous us!"

"O'Riley, shut up," hissed Shailagh, "Snape's looking this way."

Everyone turned towards the staff table. Snape was, indeed, sitting at the staff table, smirking at the team. He was waiting for one of them to slip-up, waiting for someone to get angry. The Americans felt themselves tense up in anger. If Snape was going to start stalking them out, it was going to be a very difficult week.

"Matt," Maria Martine said, walking over, "We have a minor team change, is that alright?"

"How so?" Matt asked, grabbing the Seniors' file from the pile so he could write it down.

"Cormac quit," said Maria in a way that showed she was relieved, "We're replacing him with Colin Weissenburg, he's in my Year. Oh, and Daren Backshaw is the new captain."

"I wouldn't really call that a minor change," said Steffen, raising an eyebrow, "More like an asshole who abandons his team when something better opens up."

"Yeah, he replaced Weasley on the Gryffindor team," said Maria, rolling her eyes, "Big loss. One less sexist pig on the team. And Colin's cool, so… yeah. Anyway, thanks for that."

"No problem," said Matt, "Good luck."

"Yeah, you too," said Maria, returning to the Seniors' table.

"I hate Cormac," said Emily, "I wish he'd get run over by a Hippogriff."

"As do I," said Matt, "Let's go. We have to get started on our Defense Against the Dark Arts essays. Snape wants at least three rolls of parchment on the Imperious Curse by Monday…"

The next day, the day of the Quidditch Match, was also the day of an Apparition Lesson. After much consideration, the Americans decided to go deal with Twycross instead of watch Gryffindor undoubtedly destroy Hufflepuff. They arrived at the Great Hall to find only five other students there: Shailagh, Jose and Mateo, Lillian, and Jo. The Americans smiled and walked over to them while they waited for Twycross to arrive.

"Why are you all here?" asked Steffen.

"I already know what's going to happen and whose going to win," said Shailagh, "The vision struck me this morning, so I have no reason to go."

"You've seen one Hufflepuff raping, you've seen them all," Jo said, smirking and ignoring the looks the Hufflepuffs gave her.

"I was more concerned about not being able to Apparate," said Lillian, "I mean… I've Splinched myself twice now, but I think I should get as much practice as possible…"

"Same here," said Emily, "And where the heck is he? I wanna get this over with!"

They waited another fifteen minutes before the instructor arrived. With him were only two Professors: Sinistra and McGonagall. Snape and Sprout, undoubtedly, were at the match. They smiled at the dedicated students, looks of admiration on their faces. Twycross looked around, sighed, and produced only eight hoops this time.

"Since we are a smaller group today," he said in his quiet, grating voice, "We can give you extra help today. You know what to do, remember the three D's, revolve, and go!"

The first attempt was as miserable as the first weeks of practice. Matt spun around like a top, landing on his left side. Emily jumped and focused, her legs feeling a little squished. Steffen had no results either. Lillian, Jose, and Lisa all sighed, having spun to various places on the ground. Shailagh, with a loud crack, disappeared and suddenly reappeared six feet behind where she had been origionally.

"Damn!" she hissed.

"Ms. Hacker, let's keep this a G-Rated lesson," said Professor McGonagall, "Five points from Hufflepuff."

"I can't figure this out!" Shailagh hissed in a frustrated voice.

"Let me see, dear," said Wilkie Twycross, walking over, "I'll see if I can fix you."

"Alright," said Shailagh, spinning in the counter-clockwise direction she had always done. She disappeared with a crack and reappeared with another even further back than before.

"I see," said the man, "You spin in a counter-clockwise direction. This results in a reverse in your travel direction. Try spinning in a clockwise direction, hmm?"

"Alright…" Shailagh muttered, following his directions. She quickly reappeared about two feet in front of the hoop she was aiming for, but she had finally found her problem.

"Excellent!" Wilkie cried, clapping his hands together in joy, "You'll do fine from now on, Ms. Hacker."

"Thank you, sir," said Shailagh, trying again and finally making it to her hoop.

"Now… the rest of you…" said Wilkie, "Let's see what you can do…"

Everyone else began to spin in a clockwise direction. This time, both Jo and Lillian managed to move forward about three feet, though Lillian had left most of her left arm behind again. The Americans couldn't, for the life of them, figure out what they were doing wrong. Lisa, frustrated at her lack of success, tried again quickly after and managed to disappear. She reappeared on one of the long, green, Slytherin banners, nearly falling off to her misfortune.

"Lisa! Are you alright?" asked Jose from below.

"Fine," said Lisa, sliding down gracefully to the bottom, "That was kinda fun. It doesn't hurt as much when you do it alone."

"Now you three… try focusing better. Your determination is insufficient," said Twycross to the Americans.

"Okay," they replied, focusing everthing they had on the hoops.

"On the count of three… one… two… THREE!" Wilkie cried.

Matt imagined himself being chased by a swarm of wasps, the hoop being his only protection. This, however, did not work. Emily imagined the same thing, except she was being chased by a dementor. She felt herself begin to disappear a little bit, but broke her concentration when the strange sensation shot up her legs. Steffen imagined himself having to make it to the hoop to save Emily from an exploding volcano. This time, he felt himself spin into the darkness, a pressure on his body. Then, almost instantly, he found himself inside the hoop, his friends clapping and cheering.

"Well, there you go. You had sufficient determination. Tell me, what did you imagine?" asked Wilkie.

"Someone very important to me being in danger," he said, smiling at Emily, who looked touched.

"What about the rest of you?" asked Wilkie. When he found they were all fleeing for their lives, he shook his head, "Then it's obviously not your determination that needs work, nor your destination. Your deliberation must be off, which means you're not trying hard enough. Focus your powers onto this, while keeping your other two parts in mind. Ready? One, two, THREE!"

Matt, Emily, Jo, Lillian, and Jose all forced themselves to try and rip their spirits from their bodies. They tried to force themselves into nothingness, desiring to become air. It worked for Emily, Jo, and Jose, and all three managed to land in their hoops. Matt and Lillian merely disappeared for a few moments, but reappeared in the same spot, falling to the ground.

"You three finally got it," said Wilkie, "However, you two have each individual part down, you just need to combine them. Remember, focus on your _destination_. Think about your _determination_ to go to that spot. As you're doing this, allow your body to move into nothingness with _deliberation_! Got it? Good. One… two… THREE!"

Both Matt and Lillian focused with all their might on their spot, while still trying to be determined to get into that spot and force themselves into nothingness with determination. Matt slowly revolved to the clockwise direction, and found himself moving through nothingness. He landed about a foot away from his hoop; Lillian, a foot past it.

"Good show!" Wilkie cried, clapping happily, "That was one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Now, shall we continue our practice?"

They kept at it for another hour. By the end, all seven of them could Apparate perfectly. They left the Great Hall, chatting happily with each other. The rest of the school had returned from the Quidditch game already, some looking ecstatic. Others looked worried.

"Hey Ginny," said Emily as the younger teen rushed past, "How'd it go?"

"We got beaten. Bad," Ginny replied angrily, "Cormac knocked Harry out… but it's okay… we took care of him. I'm going to see Harry, catch you guys later."

"Jesus," Emily said, eyebrows raised, "Good thing the Seniors got rid of him, eh?"

"Yeah," said Steffen, "I hope Harry is alirght, though. We can't have him dying now, can we?"

"He'll be fine," said Shailagh reassuringly, "We should focus more on how our dear Professors will be watching us and our teammates. It's going to be a long week."

Her point was proven during the first class they had on Monday. When the Americans and their friends entered, Snape was looking right at them, his eyes narrowed. He clearly wasn't happy that they had found a way to reestablish the Inter-House League, and he certainly wasn't going to let the matter rest.

"I want your essays now," said Snape, causing a rush of parchment as people quickly pulled them out, "And I want to see better results on this one than your previous. Today we will be, of course, talking about Dementors. Can anyone, besides Granger, inform us as to what a dementor is?"

A few students put their hands up while Hermione looked hurt. Snape looked to the five Slytherins in the room, but none of them had their hands up. So, grudgingly, he called on Steffen.

"They're beings of darkness that can suck the happiness out of an area," answered the teen, "They're practically unbeatable; most spells will not work on them."

"Elementary definition," said Snape, "I suppose many of you are aware that there are ways of defending yourself against them. Any ideas?"

"The Patronus Charm," said Emily, immediately, "The only true thing effective against them."

"Five points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn," Snape said, "And you are quite wrong, Ms. Davis. There are many more ways of dealing with them."

"But I'm sure," said Ron, thoughtfully, "that the Patronus is the best way to deal with it."

"A further five points from Gryffindor," Snape replied, "Again, I repeat, there are other ways of defending yourself with a Dementor."

"Excuse me, _sir_," Harry said, saying the word sir with a great amount of loathing, "You're avoiding the question. The Patronus is the _best_ way to combat a Dementor, right?"

"Ten points from Gryffindor for cheek and continued interruptions," Snape said, "Unlike you, Mr. Potter, we are all not capable of producing a Patronus at will. We are not all that… special…"

"I can!" Matt said, waving his hand around, "And, actually, almost everyone in the room can."

"Mr. Warren," Snape cut through Matt's voice, "Ten points from Ravenclaw for being a show-off. Let's leave that go Granger, alright?"

"She hasn't even said anything this entire period!" Emily said angrily as Hermione's jaw dropped.

"A first, and, likely, a last," said Snape flatly, "A further ten points from Gryffindor, and if I am interrupted one more time, it will be fifty and detention. And I remind those of you playing Quidditch on Saturday, if any of you receive detention, you will not be allowed to play, which will once again jeopardize the League. Now… Dementors…"

Those involved with the Inter-House League kept their mouths shut. For the rest of the period, while Snape outlined other, less-effective defenses against Dementors, they sat in a stony silence, occasionally throwing looks to each other. Snape wasn't fooling around. Although they were smart enough to realize the dangers they were facing, they were worried about some of the other people, especially those on Almighty, who had a problem with authority.

They expressed their concerns with each other during Care of Magical Creatures. Ryzalk was rather big now, and she moved with a slight waddle. Hyro had taken to sticking by her side almost the entire time, making sure to snap at any other gryphons that approached the area. Katrina was the only one he would let near his mate, only because Ryzalk snarled at him when he tried to chase her away.

As Hagrid continued to explain about the continuing mating patterns of the gryphons, Matt, Emily, Steffen, Shailagh, Lisa, Jose, Mateo, and Lillian sat away from the rest of the group. They had talked at length about who was in danger, and what steps they should take, if any, to ensure everything went according to plan.

"Maybe we should hold a small meeting to remind them…" Matt tentatively suggested.

"No," said Steffen, "We've had too many as it is. If we continue to do so, they'll just think it's a waste of time."

"Right," Emily added, nodding, "Some might take it upon themselves to purposely misbehave, seeing as it would upset us."

"But if we don't do anything," Lillian said, "We might get in trouble. Or, rather, someone else might get in trouble."

"This is true," said Lisa, "But if they want to get themselves kicked out, I say go ahead. More chances for the Burritos or Random Insanity to take the Cup."

"My vote is with Lisa on this one," Shailagh confessed, "Not knowing for sure what will happen, the best thing we can do is sit and wait. Who knows? Maybe everyone can remain above the immaturity level for just a few more days. Stranger things have happened."

"Yes," Emily said, patting Ryzalk absent-mindedly as she made her way over, "If things start to get out of control at all, then we'll do something. For now… let's wait and see."

The rest of the week passed with the Inter-House League students walking on egg-shells around the staff. Shailagh reported that Professor Sprout had been watching her and other League members very closely on Tuesday, reprimanding them for the smallest of offenses and trying to make them look bad. Professor Trelawney and Professor Binns also seemed to be a little more in tune with their students, and Matt found himself actually trying to work in their classes. Professors McGonagall, Sinistra, and Flitwick showed no more discipline than usual, though they did glance frequently at anyone from the League.

It was a relief for Emily and Steffen to go into Potions, where Slughorn was treating them as friendly as possible. There was a close call in Transfiguration on Wednesday when Jo had a minor scuffle with one of the Almighty guys on her way to class, though it was quickly resolved when Adrianna and Tabitha stepped in. In Divination, the Hotties asked Matt if they would be allowed a half-time show, though Matt had to remind them that since there were no set times, it would be impossible. They snuffed him the rest of the period as Professor Trelawney explained the importance of the Ace of Diamonds (not realizing she didn't have a proper Tarot deck).

After another easy Charms lesson, Snape had his turn with the Americans and their friends again. Between his snide comments, incorrect information, and continuing references to behavior in the League, it was a wonder that the Americans only lost a combined twenty points during the class. Worse, after lessons had ended for the day, word got around to Matt, Emily, and Steffen that Esme Carter had an argument with Professor Sprout during Herbology, resulting in a detention.

"I don't think this will cause problems, though," Shailagh assured them that night in Astronomy, "Esme gets detention every other week; all the staff are used to her antics by now."

She was correct; there was no retribution from her argument with Sprout, and the only other time they had to be careful was their double period Defense Against the Dark Arts class on Friday. Once they were free from Snape's clutches, they were pretty much free for the weekend. However, Emily in particular found herself wishing she didn't have to behave after an incident that occurred after dinner on Friday night.

She had just left the Great Hall to run up to the Dorm to get her things when she slammed into Pansy Parkinson, who was just arriving. The other Slytherin girls ran into Pansy, causing a pile-up. Emily took a step back and began to step over. Pansy's hand shot out and grabbed her leg, causing Emily to over balance and fall.

"Stupid Mudblood!" Pansy hissed, getting to her feet and throwing the other girls off of her.

"Dumbass cow," Emily retorted, turning to walk away.

"I'm not finished with you, you little—" Pansy hissed, moving forward.

"You are," said Jo, coming out from the shadows, "Because we're not getting the league cancelled because you don't watch where you're walking."

"Well, well, well," said Millicent, "If it isn't the traitor herself."

"Traitor? Ha!" Jo said, coldly, "At least I was talented enough to get on a team. What was it that Yancy called you? Oh… that's right… he couldn't stop laughing after your performance!"

"Why you little bitch," Millicent said, taking out her wand.

"Freeze!" came a third voice.

Everyone whirled around to see most of Salazar's Finest walking towards them, eyes narrowed. Esme and Yancy lead the pack. They formed a semi-circle around the crowd, arms folded. They glared hatred at everyone besides Jo.

"Clear off, Parkinson," said Esme coolly, "You have no business here."

"Oh, sure, side with the traitor," said Pansy haughtily, attempting to stalk past.

Esme's fingers shot out and grabbed Pansy by the shoulder. Her knuckles whitened as they dug into her shoulder. Pansy couldn't help but allow a small squeal of pain to escape, for which her face burned right after. After she had fallen to her knees, Esme smoke once more.

"If I ever find out that you caused the Inter-House League to be cancelled because you can't keep your rolls to yourself, I'm going to personally see to it that you wind up in St. Mungo's in a small, circular box," said Esme, "Do you understand me?"  
"Yes," Pansy groaned from the floor.

"Get out of here," Esme commanded, kicking the girl into the Great Hall.

"Well. That was a waste of five minutes," Emily said, making to walk past them, but being stopped by Yancy this time.

"Don't think we like you or anything, Davis," he said, "We're only looking out for our League."

"I figured as much. Now please step out of the way," Emily said, attempting to remain calm and non-aggressive, "I have a mini-eagle to feed."

"On your way, then," said Yancy, dismissing her.

The Saturday before the Inter-House League Match found the Americans excelling more than usual at their Disapparating tasks. Though Matt could do it about one of every three times he tried, Emily and especially Steffen were getting it right almost each time. Nobody, except maybe Hermione, was doing it better than Shailagh. In the time it took the students to move to their hoops once, Shailagh had gone back and forth twice, and she glowed with pride when Twycross singled her out to show the rest of the group how to do it.

Sunday morning was chilly and windy, with ominous gray clouds in the sky. The Inter-House League's crowd was a little subdued thanks to the weather, but it was still a decent size. Luna and Rebecca had, once again, dibbed the commentating jobs. As the howling wind seemed to get even more ferocious, Rebecca welcomed the crowd. The first two teams, the Seniors and Almighty, walked onto the Pitch. Without Cormac, the Seniors seemed a little less… uptight and more enjoyable. This was especially true Maria, Marcus, and the new boy, Colin, who all laughed and joked, despite the less-than-perfect weather.

"Welcome back to the Inter-House League, everyone," Rebecca announced, "I'm sure you're all as excited as I am that we've finally got that nasty little cancellation behind us."

"Special thanks to the Americans for coercing the staff into getting it back for us. Most of us would've just used rebellion," said Luna cheerfully.

"And first up, we have the Seniors and Almighty. I, personally, think the Seniors look better with the new addition of Colin Weissenburg and the loss of the ape… I mean… Cormac…"

"Oh, I remember him!" Luna said, happily, "He's the one who gave Harry the hemorrhage in the brain. I do hope he's not watching, that would make my soul hurt."

"Regardless, it's time to begin!" said Rebecca, clapping, "Okay. And the Quaffle is released! Maria Martine of the Seniors takes the Quaffle… past Smith, past the non-related Mateo Martine… SHE SCORES! Ten-nil Seniors, and what a quick score by the elder students!"

It took only about a half an hour for the Seniors to be leading the game, 100 to 20. Maria and Marcus had scored four goals apiece, while Colin had blocked eight other shots already. The Beaters on the Senior team were doing spectacular, a point proven well when they hit Zacharias so hard in the side of the head with a Bludger that he was taken to the Hospital Wing for the rest of the day (although the other Beaters retaliated, all it did was earn the Seniors twenty more points, both penalty shots taken by Maria).

As far as the games go, this was one of the less-dirty games. It was also highly anti-climatic. Before anyone truly realized it, the Seniors had caught the Snitch… after scoring a grand total of twenty goals. Almighty had only scored a grand total of three. That meant the final score was a rather formidable 350 to 30, one that the Seniors were extremely proud of as they left the field. They were sure to move up in the rankings now.

"I'm glad we've made it through one game fully intact," said Rebecca from the commentator stand, "And now we have a completely female match for you. No, you sick-minded adolescent boys, the Hotties aren't playing yet. Instead, we've got Intransigence and Flower Power!"

"Are you sure that one isn't a boy? The Beater on Flower Power's side?" Luna asked, suddenly.

"Wait, why is Lloyd playing today? Isabel told me it was going to be all girls… ah well… minor details. The Quaffle is released and… immediately taken by Adrianna Reynolds. Holy cow! Look at that girl dodge! She blows away all the first and second years with no problem… and she SCORES! Wow, that was pretty awe-inspiring, wouldn't you say, Luna?"

"I see a turkey!" said Luna, "He's chasing Professor Sprout around the garden. I will name him Felipe."

"Why do I bother…?" muttered Rebecca, making the crowd giggle.

Whether it was the fact that Adrianna had completely redoubled her five-in-the-morning training sessions, or whether the Flower Power girls (and Lloyd) had lost their talent in the time off, or even whether it was the weather, Intransigence began to score one goal right after another. About forty-five minutes into the game, Intransigence lead Flower Power 120 to 60. The First Years began to fight back, and the score was soon 160 to 90. However, that's when Isis and Rachel went after the Snitch. Both Second Year girls were fighting the miserable wind to get to it, but a Bludger from Jo decided the outcome of this game.

"Intransigence wins, 310 to 90!" cried Rebecca, "That was definitely an interesting match! And the next one proves to be the same, Salazar's Finest against the Superior Seven!"

"Then it's my turn," Luna said, happily, "And those of you wanting an update on the turkey… he is now in a furious stick fight with Professor Sprout. And he's wearing her hat."

"Okay, once again back to the Pitch…" Rebecca said, "Madam Hooch releases the Quaffle. Esme takes it… she's going… oh, nice work! Quaffle taken by Nathaniel Smith… who is immediately hit by a Bludger from one of the Finest Beaters… and now it's Carl with the Quaffle… he's going down the Pitch… he dodges Padma… dodges Blaine… shoots… SCORES!"

"I thought Mandy had that one," said Luna, "She hasn't let may in this season, has she?"

"Six percent, I believe. Or something like that," said Rebecca, "I'm sure it was just a fluke, right? I'm sure they'll pick it up now…"

It took only ten minutes for that to be verified. Both the Chasers on either side seemed to enter a frenzied state, and the score had gone to forty-thirty in favor of the Superior Seven. Mandy had also made three spectacular blocks, but the wind was starting to get to her. Worse, with the melting snow and blooming grass, her allergies were acting up, and this partially lead to her poor performance. She let eight go right by her, and there was nothing she could do about it other than sneeze and blow her nose on her robes.

"Things look bad for the Superior Seven," said Rebecca, "Score is now hundred ten to eighty, and the Finest are in control."

"I see Professor Sprout has brought in Professor Slughorn to help with the turkey," said Luna, "But he seems to have fallen and can't get up."

"Luna, do you eve know what's going on inside the match?" asked Rebecca.

"I do. Zacharias Smith is kissing that third year girl… forgot her name. Oh, and I think I see Hermione Granger down there, yeah she's glaring at me. Oh, and over there, Cho Chang is sobbing hysterically about nothing. Oh, wait, she just started to leave. Oh, wait, she just fell down the steps. Oh well. Anyway, Salazar's Finest just scored, so now it's 120 to 80…"

"I have nothing to say to that," said Rebecca, flatly.

The game moved right along, with the Chasers on the Superior Sevens' side picking up the slack a little bit. However, they only scored one more goal the entire game; most of it was spent playing keep away with the Finest Chasers. Still, they scored an amazing five more times before the Seekers suddenly drew attention as they fought each other for the Snitch. In the end, Melody was knocked off course by a Bludger, and the Finest Seeker, Vince.

"It's finally over," said Rebecca, "And a final score of 320 to 90 is awarded as the teams quickly leave the stadium. Yes, that's a hint. We want to get all the games in today… okay, thanks. Now, we've got Sanchez's Flying Burritos against Random Insanity…"

Matt, Emily, Steffen, Shailagh, Jose, Lisa, and Mateo walked across the moist Pitch as quickly as possible. When they reached the center, they were met by Ginny, Lillian, Luna, Renee, Neville, Sarah, and Terri. They bowed to each other before mounting their brooms and flying into the sky.

"And Madam Hooch releases the Quaffle!" shouted Rebecca for the fourth time, "And it seems like the Burritos have been practicing, look at those three go!"

"Lisa, down!" Matt called as Lisa soared above him. She dropped the Quaffle to him just as Luna made a sweep for it. Jose was up ahead, and Matt quickly passed to him, allowing him to score the first goal of the game.

Steffen flew about twenty feet higher than everyone else, looking for a Bludger to hit. His prime target would have to be Ginny; she was the only real player on the team. Keeping one eye on Emily to make sure she didn't come under attack, Steffen found a Bludger targeting him, and he readied his bat. His aim was true, and Ginny rolled over on her broom as she barely managed to duck under. Steffen smirked and cackled, zooming off to find another one.

Emily watched the game's progress, as well as keeping watch for the elusive golden ball. On the whole, the team was doing good. The Chasers had scored a few more times, Steffen and Shailagh had almost unseated everyone on the Insanity side, and even Mateo was doing better than usual with his goalkeeping. As she was nearly swept off her broom by a gust of wind, Emily thought she saw the Snitch. When she dove, however, Ginny zoomed in front of her, blocking her trail.

"Damn," swore Emily, pulling up fast and going back to her normal height, still glaring for the Snitch.

About forty-five minutes into the game, the score was 100 to 100, and the Quaffle hadn't made it to a goal in almost five minutes. Possession kept changing at a high rate of speed, and it was all the spectators could do to keep an eye on who had what and where. Even Rebecca was as lightly behind as she tried in vain to keep the Quaffle's possessor in her sights.

Suddenly, Emily and Ginny both saw it. The Snitch hovered near the ankle of Renee, toying with the strings on her sneakers. When it realized it was being chased, it panicked and flew away, weaving in and out of all the objects and people on the field. Emily dove, Ginny rose as the girls evaded Matt, who was speeding in the other direction. Emily took a Bludger to the right shoulder, but she continued to fly on, ignoring the pain. However, the wind was not in her favor during the final sharp turn, and Ginny's fist clamped over the ball about eighteen inches ahead of her own.

"RANDOM INSANITY WINS!" cried Rebecca, "In a stunning thriller of two awesome Chasers, Ginny Weasley pulls off the win!"

"Congratulations, Ginny," said Emily, grimacing at her shoulder, "Good catch."

"You did good as well. Let's get out of here, I think it's going to rain…" Ginny said, running off the field.

"Finally," said Rebecca, "We have the Hogwarts Hotties against Helga's Hell-Raisers. And I've just been informed that the Hotties will be performing a short show… oh, you've gotta be joking…"

"Speaking of which," said Luna, who had returned, "The turkey has now subdued Professor Sprout, Slughorn, Flitwick, and Filch. He's now working on Professor Trelawney, but her Tarot Cards are proving effective weapons in this epic battle of feathers and sherry."

"… what does that have to do with anything?" asked Rebecca, lost.

"Wow, I've never seen such revealing garments," said Luna, completely out of character.

"Oh, sweet Jesus…" muttered Rebecca, the sound of her hand slapping her forehead heard around the stadium.

It would have been impossible for the Hotties to make their uniforms any more revealing than they were. They had taken every single dress code in the history of mankind and shattered it. They strutted onto the field, heads held high. The bemused Hufflepuffs stared as they stood in a formation. Music began to play from somewhere, and they did a whole cheerleading/dance routine. It took over five minutes to complete, and half the crowd (the guys) were cheering happily and whooping, while the other half (the girls) were demanding a quick start to the game.

The game itself was also quick. The Hotties scored twice, and then the Hell-Raisers scored four times in a row. The Snitch was caught with no problem by the Hell-Raisers because Romilda was fiddling with her nails and hair, while chatting with Prudence. Far from being distraught, the girls did another quick defeat routine (the boys roared with ecstasy), and they left the Pitch. And that was it; another day of matches down.

"That wasn't too bad," said Emily as they entered the castle a few hours later, "Although I'm going to kill myself after watching the Hotties."

"I wonder if that turkey got away…" muttered Matt.

"He did," said Luna, confidently, "He gave me Professor Sprout's hat before he flew into Hogsmeade."

"Let's get dinner," said Steffen, yawning, "I've got so much other work to do tonight…"

"Me as well," said Emily, "I've still gotta do—"

She turned the corner and slammed right into Esme Carter. The Slytherin girl dropped her dinner plate, and the food went all over her shoes and legs. Her eyes got as wide as dinner plates, and her mouth dropped. The hall quieted; everyone was staring. Emily froze, staring at Esme. Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Professor Snape, who was grinning in a hungry sort of way. Esme struggled with herself for a minute, and then smiled.

"It happens," she muttered, "Evanesco. See? No harm done. See you… later…"

She walked away, a pained look on her face. The rest of Salazar's Finest followed. The entire hall let out a sigh of relief, and Snape looked highly disappointed again. Emily glanced at her teammates, shrugged, and lead them into the Great Hall for an exceptionally sweet dinner.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Long story, yes. But it's almost over! There's going to be a few twists and turns in the next few chapters, but I think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel as well as I can. Hang in there!**


	15. Ch 15: AWEs

**FROM THE AUTHOR'S MIND:**

**Okay, Chapter 15 is ready to go. That didn't take long… only 8 hours. Anyway, I'm going to see if I can finish this before the school year ends… it's going to be close, what with exams coming up. Nevertheless, I'll write whenever I get the chance. At least three more chapters to come, possibly a fourth. We'll see… it's going to be an interesting couple of months XD.**

Chapter 15: A.W.E.

The professors who had been against the League seemed to have resigned themselves to failure for the rest of March. Though Snape and Sprout continued to be rotten to those involved with it, they had no success in pushing anyone so far as to warrant a cancellation (if anything, it just caused mass amusement to the players). With the next game a full month away, the Americans turned their attention onto other things. Apparition, for example.

"I can't believe it," Matt glowered the last Saturday in March, "My birthday is April 24th. They have the tests on April 21st. And they won't cut me a break."

"Now you can take it with me," said Emily, whose birthday was July 24th, "And then we can pass together. Or… fail… whichever!"

"I don't think you guys have anything to worry about," said Melody a little jealously, "You've been able to do it perfectly for weeks."

"That's because we didn't go watch the Quidditch Match and instead spent extra time studying our Apparition," said Steffen, nodding, "Besides, I don't normally like seeing people get hit over the head with clubs by their own gorilla-like teammates."

"Speaking of which," said Emily as a few of the Seniors approached. Cormac was with them.

"Yo, Americans. We've got some things to discuss," said Daren, smirking, "We've got another team change."

"Oh, really?" Matt said, grabbing a piece of parchment, "What change would this be?"

Maria and Marcus looked furious and glowered behind Daren. The rest of the team, however, grinned openly. They were certainly excited about this new "change," though it was hard for Matt to see why. Emily and Steffen, on the other hand, had a feeling they knew where this was going. Colin was conspicuously absent from the team.

"We're replacing Colin with Cormac. And he's taking his place as the Captain once more," said Daren, "See to it, will you?"

"Of course," Matt said, writing it down.

"Oh, and tell Colin for us, please?" they said, turning to walk away.

"Oh, hell no," said Steffen, "If you jackasses want to kick someone off your team that badly, tell him yourself. Stop being pansies about it."

"Excuse me," said Daren, turning to glare at Steffen, "You should really watch who you raise your voice to. After all, we are Seventh Years, and Marcus and Maria are prefects…"

"Except we're on their side…" muttered Marcus.

"What as that?" asked Cormac dangerously. Marcus merely sighed and shook his head, indicating he wouldn't answer.

"Well, be sure to changed the roster at least," Daren said, before leading the team away. Maria and Marcus stayed behind for a moment.

"We don't like this any more than you do," said Maria, "However, ever since Cormac got kicked off the Gryffindor team, I've been expecting it. When we voted, Marcus and I were the only two who didn't want him back."

"Colin was alright with it, though. We told him about the decision earlier. He said that he expected it as well. He bears no ill-will toward any of you, though I have half mind to quit the team," added Marcus.

"But if you quit," said Emily, in a false panic, "There is no way the Seniors can ever win!"

"… so what's stopping you?" Matt asked, smirking.

"Nice try," said Maria, "But we're going to stick it out. That team is completely lost without us. Well… see you later I suppose."

"Why did you let him back on, Matt?" asked Steffen as they walked toward the Library, "I would've said no and told him to get out."

"There's no point in making a fuss," Matt said, "Besides, we've got the opportunity to play them next game. I'm going to try something new with the League. Instead of having the parchment churn out random names, I'll let the Captains decide who they want to play, as long as they haven't played the other team previously in the season."

"Good idea," said Emily, nodding, "But I want the Seniors, dammit!"

"I'll mark it down," said Matt, writing it on the parchment.

The quick meeting to decide the match-ups occurred the next day at lunch. Thankfully, there were no problems getting it set-up, and the matches were all made with no hassle. Besides the Burritos and the Seniors, Flower Power had chosen to take on Random Insanity. The Superior Seven and Intransigence agreed to play each other, obviously trying for a real challenge each way. Salazar's Finest had chosen Hogwarts' Hotties, obviously trying to pick up an easy win, and the Hell-Raisers had agreed to battle Almighty since there was nobody left.

As they entered the first week of April the weather drastically improved. The winds died down, the clouds went away, and the sun came out, cutting through the mist the multiplying dementors left in their wake. Though the news outside the castle hadn't gotten any better (one of every six students had family affected by Voldemort's return), inside the castle, things were brightening up with the weather.

Professor Sinistra showed them all a new toy she'd received from the Ministry: a huge dome that allowed the exploration of the entire Universe. The Astronomy lesson on Tuesday ran over twenty minutes past the end because she was having so much fun flying through various galaxies that no Muggle could ever hope to see with the most powerful telescope.

Professor Flitwick had cheerfully informed them that they had accomplished everything in the realm of Illusionary spells that he expected of Sixth Years. Since they were almost a month ahead of schedule, his classes became nothing more than a Study Hall, though he did give out small assignments for Charms every couple of days. This allowed him extra time with the Americans to get extra practice to try and catch up with their classmates (although Emily and Steffen didn't need it nearly as much as Matt did).

Even the normally emotionless Professor McGonagall had visibly softened. Her workload decreased greatly, and her classes became less demanding. As with Flitwick, she offered to give the Americans extra help, something Steffen and Emily both appreciated greatly.

The rest of the staff had also become nicer in other ways. Professor Slughorn was back to hosting parties every now and again, though the Americans still found excuses to skip them. Professor Trelawney had returned from therapy over Easter break and was now more normal than ever, and they had their first proper lesson since about October going over all things Tarot.

The only people that seemed impervious to the summer-like weather were Snape and Filch. Snape continued to dock points form the Americans at every opportunity, and his snide comments during Defense Against the Dark Arts were enough to make Matt, Emily, and Steffen rage for half an hour upon their exiting his class. Filch just continued to hate everyone, so much that he started throwing soap at anyone who angered him.

On the last Friday of the first week of April, Matt, Emily, and Steffen found themselves summoned to Professor Dumbledore's office again. Unaware of any wrongdoings, the Americans entered the office with only slight concern. That concern, of course, was that they were missing dessert, one that had the most delicious-looking cheesecake ever.

"Ah! Ms. Davis, Mr. Warren, Mr. Jett! Good evening. I trust you want to get back to dinner, so I'll make this brief. I trust you are studying for you're A.W.E.s?" he asked, "I remind you, the tests are—"

"A.W.E.? Awe? What are they?' asked Matt.

Dumbeldore frowned, suddenly, "You mean… you don't know about the A.W.E.s?"

"Nobody ever told us about them," said Steffen.

"Really? Hm. Severus assured me that he informed you three weeks ago…" Dumbledore said, looking thoughtful.

"Of course," muttered Matt, "That's why Snape has been looking at us with that horrible grin on his face."

"That bastard…" Emily muttered.

"Well, anyway, moving on," said Dumbledore, waving away the thought, "The A.W.E. stands for the American Wizarding Examinations. They're just placement tests for your next years' classes, whether you get Remedial, Academic, or Advanced Placement."

"Oh yeah… Seaside," said Matt, biting his lip, "Um… are these tests hard?"

"No, not really," said Professor Dumbledore, "But they are long. They take place over a five-day period, and they test you in everything in American schools."

"Great," said Matt, "When are they?"

"Next week," replied Professor Dumbeldore.

"What!" they shouted.

"Worry not, assured Dumbledore, "We've gotten special study sheets for you. Everyone gets them, you just have to be able to study them well. Oh, and we must book your passage to a testing center. There are a few choices you have… Salem has one, there's one in New York City, one in Lady Shandra Academy, and one in Utah. The others are full."

"I say Lady Shandra," Matt said, "That's north of Atlanta, right?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore, nodding, "And I believe Ms. Hacker will want to accompany you. Her desire is to attend that school next year."

"Shailagh? She's taking the examinations, too?" asked Steffen, looking shocked.

"Yes. However, the Academy is very selective; only a maximum of eighty students of all ages at a time. They also have a limited curriculum, one Shailagh should find to cater to her tastes. But enough about that, we must see about booking arrangements for you, as well as your decision on what courses to study," Dumbledore said, briskly.

"Well, yeah," said Steffen, "But how many courses can we choose from?"

"Twenty," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Twenty!" cried the teens.

"Oh, don't worry," said Dumbledore, "Many of the classes in America are more specialized than here at Hogwarts. For example, what we call 'Charms' can apply to at least four classes over there, although they do offer a couple of classes not taught here. Healing Magic and the Dark Arts, for example. However, many classes are merely different names of classes we have here."

"So… we have to take… twenty exams…?" Matt asked, looking mortified.

"Oh, heavens no!" Dumbledore said, "You do have to take the required ones, but your elective choices are completely up to you. Exams begin on Tuesday and will run until next Saturday. I expect to see you all back by Monday morning."

"Won't we have a hard time getting out of America once we're in there?" asked Matt, frowning. Steffen and Emily nodded.

"I'd say no," said Dumbledore airily, "But, then again, we've got a few ways to rescue you should the time come."

"Is that all?" Matt asked, nervously looking through the schedule.

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry to have kept you from the cheesecake," said Dumbledore, "You may go."

Back in the Great Hall, the Americans sat at the Ravenclaw Table, joined shortly thereafter by Shailagh. As Dumbledore had said, she was fully committed to going to Lady Shandra. Emily smiled and began to eat some cheesecake, but Matt and Steffen looked angry and annoyed.

"I can't believe that jerk didn't tell us," Steffen fumed, "How are we going to pass any courses like this?"

"We only have four days to study," Matt said, faintly, "There's no way even these review sheets can help…"

"Cheer up, guys. Cheesecake makes everything better," said Emily, forcing a forkful into Steffen's mouth. With sighs, the two boys decided to put the inevitable trip to Lady Shandra out of their minds for the time being. They, too, enjoyed a nice helping of cheesecake before a weekend of furious studying.

Monday afternoon, the Americans and Shailagh found themselves aboard the Knight Limousine once more. Nearly all of the other passengers were students around their age, many of whom attended the various schools from as far north as Nebraska and as far west as Texas. As they drove through Atlanta, only a few people turned to glance at the limo, and these people simply smiled in a knowing way.

When they were outside of the city, which took very little time considering the size of the vehicle, they took a dirt road hidden in the foliage. Finally, they arrived at a sign that said, "Lady Shandra Academy of the Divine." It was there that the Americans saw the building for the first time.

For a magical school, it was extremely small. It shouldn't have surprised the Americans as it was only for about eighty students, but it looked like a small mansion more than a castle or school. Three floors and a tower-like structure on each corner, all constructed from a jet-black rock was the first part one saw of the Academy. In front stood a large fountain, as well as a concrete area for students to walk. A couple of students mingled in this area, holding books and other small objects. They all looked around as the Knight Limousine came towards them.

"It feels like they're… trying to see inside the car," said Matt, "As though they're trying to see into us as we approach."

"That's how they train," said Shailagh, "Or, rather, it's one of the ways. They're trying to expand their Legilimency. It's so much fun to put up mind blocks for people like that…"

"How do you do it?" asked Emily curiously as the vehicle came to a stop.

"It's too hard to explain," said Shailagh, "And I don't know anyone who isn't a Seer who hasn't accomplished it yet."

They climbed out of the Limousine with the rest of the students. As they marched across the grounds, the Lady Shandra students stared at them, some smirking, some whispering behind their hands to their friends. It was a little creepy, and many students became slightly nervous. Shailagh was the only one who looked confident, and she walked forward without any hesitations.

The door opened and an older witch walked out to greet them. She was dressed almost completely in black, including a shawl around her shoulders. In one hand, she carried a crystal ball, in which a fog swirled mysteriously.

"Welcome to my school," said Lady Shandra, "I trust you are all prepared for you're A.W.E.s. I do hope that a few of you in particular put in the extra effort. These tests will prove much harder than you think."

She smiled sadly at a few students, each of whom recoiled slightly. Still, she beckoned them into the building. Inside was just as black as it had been outside, with only a few torches to light the way. The only place there was natural light was in the foyer, which looked right up to the third floor and a beautifully painted glass dome. Lady Shandra continued to lead them to the cafeteria.

"Black," she said, abruptly, "Is the absence of color. Color creates distraction. In essence, black is the absence of distraction. This is something that is imperative to any who wish to study the immensely difficult art that is Divination. This will also lead to the explanation of why you wonder why the school is so dark and dreary."

Matt looked startled. That was the very thing he wanted to know.

"Tomorrow, you begin your examinations. Except for the Juniors in my school, everyone from this Academy has been dismissed for the duration of these tests. You will make use of the living quarters on the third floor. Boys to the North and West Towers, girls in the South and East. And should any of you nasty little boys get the wrong ideas, don't forget… I will be watching."

An uneasy shudder ran through the audience. It was clear that many found Lady Shandra to be rather… creepy. After a few moments, the witch smiled and spread her arms wide in a gesture of friendship.

"Feel free to use any facilities you have here. Although… I do think you'd prefer to spend this time studying, correct? I wish you all the best of luck on your examinations… however… for some of you… I can only pray."

She swept away imperiously. Everyone seemed to breathe a little sigh or relief once she had left. The group began to disperse, exploring the Academy and looking at the various artifacts around the area. Shailagh and the Americans left the cafeteria, intent on going to the Library to study. Shailagh looked around and frowned again.

"I was rather hoping to see my cousin, Siyon. She's studying here, but she's only a sophomore. I assume their tests will be next week," she said.  
"Why don't they have them all together at once?" asked Matt.

"Because there wouldn't be enough room," replied Shailagh, "Lady Shandra can handle about 100 test-takers, and some centers are even smaller than that. Most people go to that one in New York, or Salem."

"Why, if it isn't my British friends!" came a jovial cry from behind them.

All four students turned to see Dr. Tavoularius smiling benignly at them once more. She looked a bit more formal than she had at Hogwarts; her hair was now in a bun and she was wearing glasses. However, her green eyes still shone with joy upon seeing them.

"I figured I'd see you three here. And Shailagh, I should have guessed you'd want to go here, too," said Dr. Tavoularius.

"Why are you here?" asked Matt, "I thought you'd be at Seaside."

"Spring break," she replied, "I'm proctoring your examinations. It'll be me, Lady Shandra, and three other men. I haven't met them yet, but I assume they'll be good."

"What exactly are these exams?" asked Steffen, "Written, oral, practical…?"

"Completely written," said Dr. Tavoularius, "We wouldn't have time to do practical as well. We've already got four scheduled a day—"

"Don't remind me…" muttered Emily.

"And we've got the sophomores, freshman, and next year's freshman to test still. It's a never-ending cycle, I'm afraid. But at least I only have to deal with the sophomores next week, and then it's back to Seaside for me!" she said, looking relieved.

"Be honest… are these tests hard?" asked Shailagh, "As in… harder than Britain's O.W.L.s?"

"Of course not," she said, shaking her head, "I swear, your O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s make a mockery of these tests. They're tedious, for sure, but, for the most part, they're easy. I trust you've been studying your review packets?"

"Yes," they said, nodding.

"Good. You'll need all that information. Oh, and have you met my son? He's in your year… RAMIREZ! Come say hello!" she called over their shoulders.

Ramirez walked over, smiling. He looked just like his mother: same facial features, same green eyes, and same blonde hair. His hair, however, was shaggy and a little long for most guys. He glanced to his mother, looking slightly confused.

"Ramirez, these are the ones I met in Britain. They're going to be classmates with you next year," said Dr. Tavoularius.

"Sweet," he said, "Nice to meet you. The name's Ramirez."

"I'll let you all get aquainted," said Dr. Tavoularius, "See you at dinner!"

"So, are you guys ready for the tests?" he asked.

"We just found out about them Friday night," said Emily, flatly, "Because the moron that was supposed to tell us didn't."

"Damn! And they're making you take the test?" Ramirez said, eyes widening.

"I don't think it'll be too bad," said Steffen, uneasily, "Can't be worse than the O.W.L.s…"

"That's true," said Ramirez, "But still… four days of studying… well, I won't hold you up. I expect you'll want to keep studying, right?"

"You are welcome to join us," Matt said while the others nodded.

"Thanks, but I promised I'd go out with the guys tonight. But I'll help you study after tomorrow night, I promise," he said.

"Well be waiting for you," said Shailagh, who seemed a little taken with Ramirez.

"Okay, then," Ramirez said, grinning at her and walking away.

"Shailagh, I detect some sort of spark between you two," Emily said, slyly.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Shailagh, blushing, "And before you ask, no, I don't know what's going to happen. I've blocked my mind to my own relationship Divinations. It ruins your ambitions after a while."

"Pretty defensive, eh?" suggested Steffen with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Shailagh hissed, whipping out her wand, "Don't make me bring pain into your life!"

"Um… hello… HORRFYING EXAMS IN THE MORNING!" Matt yelled, "We must study!"

"Calm down, Matt, they won't be that bad," said Emily, "You're a good test-taker, like me."

"What ones are tomorrow, anyway?" asked Steffen.

"Transmigration, Elemental, Charming, and Astronomy," answered Matt.

"My God… that's eight hours of testing!" cried Emily.

"Yep. Looks like you'd better get to work. I only need to take Transmigration and Astronomy for this school," said Shailagh.

"La-de-da!" Steffen muttered.

The next morning, all the Juniors reported to the cafeteria at eight. Lady Shandra, Dr. Tavoularius, and three other older wizards were ready to hand out the examination papers. Matt, Emily, Steffen, and Shailagh found themselves going over the review packets in their minds, everything from simple Self-Levitation to Apparition. When the proctors handed out the tests, the Americans and Shailagh began to scratch away furiously at their papers.

By the end of the two-hour period, Emily and Steffen were both completely confident that they'd passed. Shailagh's face was taciturn. Matt felt pretty good with his paper. At least he'd put an answer for everything in. After the half-hour break, they were given the Elemental test. Once again, almost everyone was present. Having spent nearly the first half of the year on the subject, the Americans felt that it would be the easiest test to pass.

They weren't kidding. For Emily and Steffen, anything below a perfect would have astounded them. Matt was positive his Water and Air was perfect, about 98 sure on the Fire, and, as usual, less-than-confident about the Earth. Still, when he compared answers with Emily and Steffen during lunch, he felt he might have finally passed the Earth Magic section with a decent grade.

Charming was a little bit tougher than the previous two classes. Many of the questions dealt with things that had been learned at Hogwarts before the Americans came, such as how to make inanimate objects do gymnastics and make writing utensils race around the desks. But there were also charms that dealt with human emotions and behaviors, something they hadn't gotten into at Hogwarts. That was reserved for Seventh Years. On the other hand, the Astronomy exam was exceptionally easy, just like Professor Sinistra's had always been.

Ramirez joined them on Tuesday night for a study session that lasted a good chunk of four hours. Wednesday was going to have some of the hardest exams, and everyone was a little stressed out. All Shailagh needed was Healing Magic and Magical Zoology, but since she'd never been exposed to Healing Magic, she spent most of the night in a furious Question-Answer session with Ramirez while the Americans focused on the other courses as well.

The Transmutation exam was probably the hardest of all the exams. Complex diagrams, full-essay answers, and only limited short-answers made for a grueling two-hour experience. Although much of the stuff on the exam had been covered in Hogwarts, Emily and Steffen were both still slightly worried at what the results might mean for them. Matt, on the other hand, was highly confident that he'd get a good grade on the exam; there'd only been two questions he was totally blank on.

Healing Magic was, for all the hype about it, relatively simple. Many of the spells were common sense, and a lot had the same sort of root. For example, spells to mend bones usually had the same suffix, whereas those involving blood had similar prefixes. Although the Americans were a little put-out due to the study time lost on that particular exam, Shailagh didn't seem to care at all, and Matt, Emily, and Steffen had a shrewd suspicion as to why.

Emily and Steffen found the Potions & Alchemy exam to be moderately challenging. Matt found it to be a nightmare. Many of the Potions were studied previously at Hogwarts, especially some of the ones during this year (there was a whole section on the _Felix Felicis_ potion). When they were told to roll up their exam papers, Matt figured he'd be lucky to get into the Remedial class, whereas Emily and Steffen both hoped to make AP Alchemy & Potions.

Magical Zoology was surprisingly hard, though this was likely due in a large part to the fact that Hagrid hadn't really taught anything but gryphons all year. Still, the Americans figured they did enough to get into the AP course, as long as they didn't grade too strictly. Shailagh felt the same way, but she then rushed off to talk to Ramirez before they could get a full conversation in with her.

Wednesday night found many students taking it easy. Emily and Steffen only had two exams the next day: Conjuration and Dueling. Shailagh only had Divination. Matt had all three, as did Ramirez. So, they spent most of the evening on an easy study pace, preparing for the exams of the next day. When they were done with that, they played a game of good old-fashion jailbreak at about midnight until Lady Shandra chased them back inside, hissing.

Conjuration was relatively easy. It was the same thing they'd done in Professor McGonagall's class the past two years, and it included Vanishing and creating inanimate objects from nothing. While everyone else sat the Herbology exam, the Americans, Shailagh, and Ramirez enjoyed three hours of freedom as they wandered around the Academy, playing in the woods and eating a picnic-style lunch.

Then it was back inside for the Dueling A.W.E. This was another class that the Americans had extremely limited exposure to. It mainly talked about proper techniques for dueling, and if Ramirez hadn't helped them study, they probably would have failed. However, thanks to his counseling, they figured they each earned a passing grade by the end of it.

Once more, Emily and Steffen went off to do their own thing while Matt, Shailagh, and Ramirez took the Divination exam. There were only ten people in the room at that time; others obviously thought it was a waste of time or didn't want to study it. It was another difficult lesson, and Lady Shandra made regular checks over everyone's shoulders as they wrote (she stood by Shailagh's desk for at least five minutes at one point). At the end, the Americans concluded that it was the majority of wizards that had doubts about Divination, not just those who had suffered with Trelawney.

Though Friday was a full day, the Americans were relieved. They were not taking any exams on Saturday, so they were free after Friday evening. After much consideration, and a look into the study guide, all decided to have a go at Ancient Runes. Shailagh had the day off normally, but decided to take the Summoning exam in the afternoon for kicks.

The Magical Theory and History examination was exceptionally boring. It was like sitting through one of Binns' classes. Since Emily and Steffen had only attended one of his classes the entire year, they figured the odds of passing this particular exam were slim to none. Worse, it was mainly on American magical history, something they were complete dunces with. Matt didn't find it nearly as hard as Emily and Steffen had, but it was certainly tedious. By the end, he wondered if he would actually make the AP course, but he didn't have long to ponder.

Summoning was a very interesting exam. The Americans had never really been exposed to this course either, only simple charms to produce things such as rats and kittens. This course offered so much more, and, while it was a difficult and relatively new branch of magic, they were all excited. There were even a few theories that one could summon spirits of the dead, and even elemental rulers that were fabled to exist. All the Americans were highly excited to be able to take that class next year, so they prayed they got good grades on the test.

Ancient Runes was extremely difficult, owing to the fact that the Americans hadn't ever studied it before. Matt had seen a few of the runes on Padma's paper in the Ravenclaw Common Room, but that was about the length of the experience he had with it. Still, it was interesting to see what the Runes translated to and how some were rumored to have potent magical powers, something Matt was keen to unlock. Steffen and Emily also gave it a go, though they doubted they'd actually passed.

The final exam was Abjuration. This was an entire course that reminded them forcefully of Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was mainly defensive spells and charms, as well as those to wards off Dark creatures. Steffen was sure he aced it, and Matt and Emily were both sure they'd done well. When it was finally over, the threw their arms to the skies joyfully. They were free.

That evening, they left via the Knight Limousine. Shailagh had another examination the next morning, but the Americans had no interest in Astrology, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, or the Dark Arts. So, after saying good-bye to Dr. Tavoularius and Lady Shandra, they headed for the limo. Six other students were also taking their leave. Shailagh and Ramirez were there to say good-bye.

"It was great to meet you all," said Ramirez, shaking hands with them, "But I am sure you have other things to be doing, am I right?"

"Yes, you are," said Emily, "We've gotta get back and make up five days worth of homework and such."

"And don't forget about the match on Sunday," reminded Shailagh.

"SONOFABITCH!" the Americans cried at once.

"I forgot!" Matt cried, "Who was in charge of scheduling practices!"

"Jose and Lisa and Mateo are going to kill me!" Emily exclaimed.

"They better not have gotten it cancelled on us!" growled Steffen, "Or else… I kill!"

"Come on, children, we must leave!" called the Knight Limo driver.

"Well, adios then," said Matt, waving and jumping in to the back.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. I'll be back for the Match, I promise!" called Shailagh as the car pulled away. The Americans quickly glanced back and saw the two teens standing in front of the tall, black building. And then they were swallowed up by trees and disappeared from view.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Okay, you know the drill. Review if you're reading, I love feedback!**


	16. Ch 16: To the Finals!

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Nothing to say but… enjoy! And Review!**

Chapter 16: To the Finals!

Shailagh returned to Hogwarts at almost midnight that Saturday, but was still one of the first into the Great Hall the next morning. She lingered over a cup of coffee, waiting for the Americans and the rest of the Flying Burritos to arrive. She smiled as they approached.

"How was the last day?" asked Matt, taking a seat next to her.

"It was… alright," said Shailagh, "The Astrology A.W.E. was pretty easy since we've had two differenct classes that touched on it. I helped Ramirez study for a couple of his exams. He took the Dark Arts, you know."

"That's so sweet," said Emily, smirking, "I knew you'd find someone."

"Did you ever see Siyon?" asked Steffen.

"Yes, for a few minutes," replied Shailagh, "Still as taciturn as ever. She's been trying to detach herself from emotions for quite a while now."

"Why would you do that?" asked Lisa, raising an eyebrow.

"To not be able to feel is something many Seers yearn for," explained Shailagh, sighing, "It makes our lives a little bit easier. I, however, feel it is necessary for us to feel emotions, which is why I get such bad headaches when I see significant things."

"How are you feeling?" asked a concerned Jose, "Will you be up to play today?"

"Of course," said Shailagh, "I slept until it was time for the Portkey setup by Lady Shandra. So I'm ready to crack some skulls with my awesome club of doom."

"I just hope I'm ready to block some goals of doom…" muttered Mateo.

"At least the weather's good," said Steffen, looking out the window.

"Agreed," said Matt, "At least we won't have to deal with the crap we had last time…"

The first match was surprisingly violent, considering the teams. Neville knocked out Lloyd (on accident) and sent him to the Hospital Wing for the rest of the day. The other Insanity Beater, Sarah Watkins, accidentally hit Isabel Moon in the face with her stick when she missed the Bludger, resulting in a foul. This caused the other Flower Power Beater to commit two fouls on the other team. In the end, after a chase the resulted in Rachel Younger getting hit with a Bludger and Ginny getting hit in the arm with a Beater's club, Random Insanity took the win for 180 points against Flower Power's 30.

The Flying Burritos and Seniors game was a very intense one as well. Unlike the first, there were only three fouls the whole game (four, actually, but the last one wasn't caught until after the game itself). Though not exactly pleased with their team, Maria and Marcus scored all of the nine goals for their side. Daren didn't do nearly as well; Mateo blocked all his shots. Meanwhile, Matt, Jose, and Lisa had no trouble getting past Cormac… as long as the Quaffle wasn't violently ripped from their arms first.

Steffen and Shailagh had their hands full with Bludgers. Steffen, as per usual, swooped around Emily, keeping her safe. The only time he was breeched was when one grazed her arm as he soared below her when the Bludger was hit from above. Still, the highlight of the game came when Emily and Cho entered a very hair-raising and intense chase for the Snitch.

Cho shot ahead first, having spotted it before Emily. She looked like she was going to catch it for a moment, especially since Emily got hit in the arm by Daren as he flew below her (he tried to say he misjudged a pass to Maria, but that didn't hold water as she was on the other side of the field). Emily inched forward, dodging one Bludger, and then another. The second one hit Cho in the ribs and she doubled over for a second, wheezing. This gave Emily all the time she needed to shoot over her, and grab the Snitch from about six inches in front of her face. The final score was 200 to 90.

"You JERK!" Cho shouted at Beater Jamison Frost, "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT ME! Now we lost, and it's all YOUR fault!"

She wailed and left the stadium, crying, screaming, and wailing. Luna and Rebecca took that time to delightfully remind everyone about Cho's normal emotional outbursts. It gave Emily great satisfaction to see her friends in the stands, livid and shouting swears and curses at the two announcers (the icing on the cake was Professor McGonagall running over to chew them out about swearing near some First Years).

The third game was predicted to be a slaughterhouse. As usual, the Hotties started with a pre-game show that was even longer and more intricate than the first. Thankfully, their outfits had been redesigned, but only to cover more skin at request of the staff. In a stunning turn of events, the Hotties played like they had never played before; they weren't just pretty pushovers after all.

Bridget, Parvati, and Lavender all put on a spectacular display of their talents in passing the Quaffle. The stunned Slytherins watched as the glitter-clad girls soared past their defenses, scoring three goals in a row. Although Esme soon got revenge by hitting Bridget squarely in the nose (causing another ten points when Lavender fired it in), it was soon clear the Hotties were going to be a tough opponent.

Even the Beaters, who had normally show reluctance to hit the speeding, black balls had gone all out. Brittany and Prudence kept such a ferocious melee of hits towards Salazar's Finest that they were sent ducking for cover on many occasions. Even Gertrude, who normally showed more interest in her nails than the Quaffle going through her hoops, broke three saving a grand total of fifteen shots.

In the end, the best performance came from Romilda and Brittany, who worked together when they saw Vince closing in on the Snitch. Being much lighter, Romilda had no trouble catching up with him, through graceful twists and turns and loops that left the audience in mild awe. Brittnay aimed a Bludger right at Vince at just the right time, hitting him in the lower spine, and causing him to convulse on his broom and fumble the Snitch. The tiny, Golden ball was immediately snatched by Romilda, who cackled gleefully as she held it high in the air.

"I don't believe it. I don't think I _want_ to believe it," said Rebecca, stunned, "But the Hogwarts Hotties have completely DESTROYED Salazar's Finest in an unprecedented show of talent and formidability."

"And we can't see so much of their legs and chests anymore," said Luna, "That's a plus."

"How… how did you guys do that?" asked Matt, "You never seemed to care so much before…"

"Well, duh!" said Bridget, "We couldn't, like, let those Slytherins beat us, could we? We'd be the laughingstock of Gryffindor!"

"Very true," said Lisa, but waited until they walked away before she added, "You already are."

The Superior Seven-Intransigence game started a little after three. This was the game almost everyone in the audience was looking forward to the most. Talent-wise, they were two of the best teams in the League. Though Intransigence had bad luck during the first few games of the season, many wondered if they would finally be able to squeeze out a win in this one.

The Chasers on both sides showed superb skill and control. However, the main difference was the Keeping ability; Manuela couldn't quite compare with Mandy, and it wasn't long before the Superior Seven had pulled ahead by three goals. The Beaters on either side were going at a steady pace, though Intransigence and the Superior Seven were all very capable at dodging. Only Nate and Tabitha were hit, and those were light hits either way.

When Isis took a dive for the Snitch, Melody was right behind her. However, the late start coupled by Isis' lighter weight meant that it was almost guaranteed that the smaller girl would get the Snitch first. The final score was 200 to Intransigence, 90 to the Superior Seven. This left one more game: Almighty versus Helga's Hell-Raisers.

It was, by far, the most violent of the games that day. A total of three fouls were committed from each team, and Sally-Anne Perks was sent to the Hospital Wing with a serious concussion from a Bludger to the head at close range. Although the Hell-Raisers pulled ahead to fifty goals early on, Almighty fought back and tied the score up. Another foul on each team occurred as the Seekers went for the Snitch, though only the Hell-Raisers made their goals.

Meanwhile, the Seekers were fighting tooth and nail to get the Snitch as it dodged and weaved a mystical, deadly path through the other players and brooms and balls. Just as the Hell-Raiser's Jacob Shores reached for it, Almighty's James Hendricks punched the arm away and took the Snitch and the cheap win. Final score: 200 to 60, in favor of Almighty.

"That was very cheap," grouched Rebecca, "But… Almighty moves up in the standings, possibly high enough to have a shot at qualifying for finals. There is only one more game before the semifinals and finals, so you'd all better train hard! Details will be available at the next team selection meeting thing tonight after dinner."

That evening, all people involved with the League met in the Great Hall once more. Matt, Emily and Steffen quickly outlined the plan for the semifinals. The top six teams would play each other (selected randomly) and the top two scoring teams would advance to the finals. These games would have no effect on the "season score," which was to be finalized after the last game in the midpoint of May. As it had worked out so well for April, Matt had ultimately decided to let them choose their opponents once more, though that was made more difficult because of who had played who before.

Emily seriously wanted to play Almighty, hoping to knock them out of another cheap victory. However, Salazar's Finest had the same idea. After a bit of negotiation, it was decided that the Burritos and Salazar's Finest would play each other, while Almighty was going to try and best Flower Power.

Meanwhile, Maria was sitting with the Intransigence team, congratulating them, when Daren and Cormac made a loud, rude remark about Maria. In a rage, Adrianna and Jo lividly declared that they would be taking on the Seniors in the final match. Maria also announce the resignation of the team, something that immediately killed the humor for the Seniors. Marcus also showed signs of wanting to quit, but Maria talked to him quietly and, grudgingly, he remained on the team. Colin was chosen to take her place.

Thankfully, the last to match-ups were not nearly as violent. Ginny and Bernard Andrews decided to have Random Insanity and Helga's Hell-Raisers play each other. The Superior Seven, of course, were going to play Hogwarts' Hotties as they were the only team left to play.

This left the rest of April, as well as the first week of May, open to training and keeping up with school work. The Americans were far less concerned with their coursework as they were going to Seaside the next year, so their grades at Hogwarts didn't really bother them as much anymore. But before the month was out, three things happened. Two were good, and one was not.

On April 21, Steffen passed his Apparition test. Matt, not 17 for three more days, wasn't allowed to take it, and neither was the ever-so-young Emily. Still, at least one of them could legally Apparate now, and that was better than having to side-along Apparition with Lisa's grandmother.

On April 23, a Wednesday, Adrianna came to Divination to find Matt. Professor Trelawney, who had remained clean for about a full month now, gracefully let him go while she hovered over the Hotties' table. However, Matt knew whatever was about to be said wasn't good; the Intransigence captain looked extremely grim.

"I've got some bad news," she said, looking distraught, "We have to make an emergency team change. I've asked most of the other girls, as well as Emily and Steffen, to join us in the Library."

When the two arrived in a smaller, more secluded section of the Library, they saw Emily, Steffen, and all of the Intransigence team, minus Quinn and Henrietta. Frowning, Matt took a seat between Emily and Jo, the latter of whom looked uncharacteristically grim.

"It's about Quinn," said Adrianna, sitting down and rubbing her temples, "She has to leave the team. Actually… she has to leave Hogwarts altogether."

"Why?" asked Emily, her insides dropping to her feet.

"It's her father. Last night was the full moon. He was attacked by a werewolf. They _think_ it was Fenrir Greyback, but… they don't know for sure. What we do know is that Quinn's mother wants her home, at least for a while, while they sort out what they're going to do."

"Damn him," said Steffen, thinking of the Montgomery boy, "That asshole…"

"This means we need to replace her on the team," said Jo.

"Don't say it like that," muttered Tabitha, "That sounds so heartless."

"What would you rather I say?" Jo retorted, "We've got to find someone else to fill in her position if we want to win. Besides, you know what Quinn's like. She want us to find another person."

"You're right," said Adrianna, nodding, "She'd never forgive us if we just gave up on her account. Sometimes I hate people who are that selfless."

She smiled and shook her head. The others nodded. Tabitha actually had tears in her eyes. The Americans exchanged slightly uneasy looks; what would they do now?

"Is there some way we can help her?" asked Matt, "I could ask Professor Dumbledore the next time he gets back. I'm sure there's something he could--?"

"No, don't," said Manuella, "I don't think she want everyone to know she's got a werewolf for a father."

"But what about the Wolfsbane Potion?" suggested Steffen, "We learned about it at Salem. It helps you keep your senses and—"

"The Raphael's are… well, not poor, but they could be better off," said Isis quietly, "I don't know if they could afford it…"

"I'm sure we could find someone willing to mix it for them," said Emily, "Anyway, who do you want to have on the roster?"

The girls looked at each other, nodded, and said, "Maria Martine."

"Excellent choice," said Emily, "She'll definitely want to get back at the Seniors."

"As do we," hissed Jo, "If Cormac makes one stupid remark, I'll hex him so bad his granddad will feel it."

This news cast a small cloud of sadness over the Americans for the rest of the day. They did see Quinn after dinner as she was leaving (Henrietta was escorting her). Though she apologized for leaving right before the final game, they assured her that her team was pulling for her and that they'd always be there for her. Also, they added, they were going to try and help in whatever way they could. With a watery smile, Quinn took her leave; bound for London to meet her parents at St. Mungo's.

Emily sat in her dorm that night, feeling mildly depressed. An open book on more advance Potions sat in front of her, but she just couldn't bring herself to write the essay. Hermione noticed this and leapt over from her bed (ignoring the whispering Hotties as they listened to Lavender complain about Ron).

"Emily, is something wrong?" she asked, kindly.

"Well… okay, you can't tell anyone, especially _them_," Emily said, indicating their gossipy roommates.

"Won't tell a soul," replied Hermione.

"You know Quinn Raphael? She was on Intransigence? Well… her father got attacked by a werewolf and she had to leave. He's going to be living with the disease forever," Emily said in a low voice.

Hermione's eyes widened with shock. Her hand flew to her mouth. At first, she was horrified. But the horror turned to thoughtfulness, and a smile slowly cracked her face. She beckoned Emily towards the far bed and took out a piece of parchment.

"You need to write to Remus Lupin. He was one of our former Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. He's been a werewolf since he was a child; he could help. Can Red Wing find him?"

"Of course," said Emily, "So I should just explain the situation for him and he'll be able to find Lupin and he'll be like the emotional support?"

"That's the best we can do," said Hermione, shrugging. Then, she looked over her shoulder, "Incoming!"

Bridget and her posse had walked over to sneer at them. They stood, arms folded, but their glares were directed not towards Emily, but to Hermione. Lavender took a step forward, her face rather angry. Hermione shrunk slightly.

"What is your relationship with Ron?" she demanded.

"Ron? As in 'Won-Won?'" Hermione replied.

"How many other 'Rons' do you know?" Gertrude replied haughtily.

"Me relationship with him is none of your business," replied Hermione, turning away.

"As his girlfriend, she has a right to demand your answer," Bridget said, "Unless, of course, you don't have a relationship with him."

"Back the hell off, Bridget," Emily said, stepping between them, "This is none of your business, either."

"If one of my girlfriends has a problem, it's my problem," replied Bridget, eyes narrowed, "Now if you'll just be so kind s to step out of the way—"

**RAAAAAARGH!**

Red Wing saved the day again by swooping in and attacking Bridget with his wings. With a shriek, she and the other girls dove into the nearest closet, slamming the door behind them. Red Wing followed, attacking the door for a few seconds before returning to Emily and landing dutifully on her shoulder.

"You definitely have a demon bird, Emily," said Hermione, eyebrows raised.

"Yes. But he's a good little demon bird," Emily replied, tying the letter to him. He made another noise, nodded, and flew off into the night. Behind them, they heard the whimpering of the Hotties, and both Hermione and Emily began to laugh hysterically. They couldn't stop for quite a while.

Finally, on the last day of April, the grades came. Three owls arrived and soared into the castle. A few students turned to watch as they navigated the halls, flying towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. Inside of it, the Americans stared blankly at Snape as he outlined something to do with counter jinxes, but it was hard to really hard to tell as it was boring and his voice reminded them of a drill. When the door flew open and the owls came in, the entire class jumped.

The owls flew down and landed on the desks of Matt, Emily, and Steffen. Attached to their legs were their letters from the Ameircan Student Wizarding Authority (ASWA, as the name was written on the envelopes). The excitement the Americans felt doubled as they completely tuned out the class who stared and the angry Snape who glared in their general direction.

"It's our grades from the A.W.E. exams," Matt said as the birds flew out.

"Excellent," said Steffen, happily tearing into his, "I wonder what we got?"

"Excuse me, but I remind you that we are in a class," said Snape dangerously.

"Whatever," said Emily, "We can leave."

"What?" Snape said, eyes bugging slightly.

"Yeah, leaving sounds like a good idea," Matt said, picking up his bag.

"Adios, Professor," said Steffen, leading the way out. The stunned class stared at them as Snape took twenty points away from each of them and gave them a detention for the next few weeks.

"Wait," said Emily as Steffen ripped his open, "Let's look at ours together. On the count of three… one… two…"

"Do we have to do this every time we get exam results?" grouched Steffen, "Ah well. Three."

They opened their envelopes all the way and took out their papers. One piece had their grades, and another had a letter from the ASWA. They read that first, as it explained how scoring was done and what they should do if the had any questions at all.

**AMERICAN WIZARDING EXAMINATION SCORES**

ATTENTOIN STUDENTS: Your exams have been graded using the ESCABUF system, with your grades rating from an E to an F, obviously. A carbon copy of these scores has been sent to your school and will be a big part in your studies next year. If you think there is a mistake, feel free to contact us and we will use your letters as fuel for our fires. Saves us heating costs and lets you think we care about your opinions. Have a nice day!

Kratos Tavoularius

Kratos Tavoularius

American Wizarding Examinatiou Authority

"That must be Dr. Tavoularius' husband," said Matt, smirking, "They make such a good couple for each other."

"Agreed," said Emily, "Now let's see the results!"

**MATTHEW ROBERT WARREN**

**JUNIOR A. W. E.**

**EXAM GRADES ARE AS FOLLOWS:**

AbjurationC

Ancient RunesA

AstronomyE

CharmingA

ConjurationS

DivinationS

DuelingC

ElementalE

HealingS

Magical Theory and HistoryS

Magical ZoologyE

Potions and AlchemyU

SummoningC

TransmigrationC

TransmutationE

**EMILY KAREN DAVIS**

**JUNIOR A.W.E.**

**EXAM GRADES ARE AS FOLLOWS:**

AbjurationE

Ancient RunesA

AstronomyS

CharmingS

ConjurationC

DuelingS

ElementalE

HealingA

Magical Theory and HistoryF

Magical ZoologyE

Potions and AlchemyE

SummoningE

TransmigrationS

TransmutationC

**STEFFEN LEE JETT**

**JUNIOR A.W.E.**

**EXAM GRADES ARE AS FOLLOWS:**

AbjurationE

Ancient RunesB

AstronomyC

CharmingC

ConjurationC

DuelingE

ElementalE

HealingA

Magical Theory and HistoryF

Magical ZoologyE

Potions and AlchemyS

SummoningS

TransmigrationS

TransmutationA

"Not bad," Matt said, "A little disappointed in the Potions & Alchemy test, but… I passed everything else, and got four E's."

"I got four as well," said Steffen, "Failed Ancient Runes and Magical Theory and History… but I got an E in Dueling! Ha!"

"Calm down, dear, I got an E there, too. But I have five. Emily got an E in Summoning! Hahaha!"

"I only got a C," muttered Matt, "I hope I can get in."

"I got an S," said Steffen, "This is going to be an interesting year."

"I wonder what classes we qualified for?" asked Emily, checking her parchment, "They didn't send us anything about that…"

"No, they didn't," said Matt, frowning, "Pity. I kind of wanted to see which AP courses I could take now."

"As long as I can take AP Summoning, I'll be happy," said Emily, smirking.

"You got an E. You're obviously in!" exclaimed Steffen.

"Victory for Emily!" Emily shouted, cackling and causing a few students passing by them to stare.

Thought he Americans had detention with Snape for three weekends in a row, that didn't stop them from enjoying themselves at the match on the second Sunday in May. The weather, as with the previous game, was near-perfect. The first game, the Superior Seven versus Hogwarts' Hotties, took place at eleven. As the trend went, more and more people were going to the games, and the stadium was almost full of students obsessed with Quidditch Mania.

The Hotties had, once again, shown that they weren't just mere pushovers. Though they were more aggressive than before, resulting in three fouls on their part, they kept the score down to 50-50 for the entire hour the game lasted. This included plenty of Quaffle-stealing, Bludger-dodging action, coupled with a couple of their pre-show moves incorporated into the game itself. In the end, Romilda was hit in the head with a Bludger and Melody took the Snitch and the win, 200 – 50.

There were many things to enjoy about the Intransigence-Seniors game. There was the look on Cormac's face when Maria scored the first goal of the game in ten seconds. Then there was Henrietta hitting Daren in the chest with the Bludger. Jo's intricate fouls (of which there were two on Cormac, three on Cho, and one on Daren) were also a crowd-pleaser. The fact that the girls had dedicated the game to Quinn and her family right beforehand was good for sentimental value. But the best part, in the Americans' mind, was when Isis and Cho were fighting for the Snitch and a Bludger came out of nowhere and unseated Cho, allowing Isis to take the win, 200 – 60.

The short game of Random Insanity and Helga's Hell-Raisers was nothing short of comical. Everyone on the Insanity side had adopted Luna's style of spastic flying, causing their opponents to flip-flop in the air as they tried in vain to get the Quaffle from them. Though only four goals were scored on the side of Random Insanity, two were from Luna alone, and Lillian was overjoyed that she got one herself. Ginny proved too much for Jacob as she snatched the Snitch about twenty feet in front of him, getting the score to be 190 – 30 in merely 30 minutes.

Almighty tried to use trickery and cheap shots to win their games. They would constantly fly in such a way that the First Years would have no choice but to fly into and foul them. Madam Hooch continuously awarded them penalty shots, despite the obvious rage displayed by Flower Power, the commentators, and the audience in general. However, that trickery was their undoing. When Jacob tried to make Rachel swerve into him when they were both going for the Snitch, she rolled under him, shot up behind him, and snatched the Snitch from right next to his left ear. Flower Power somehow won again, 210 – 60.

When the Burritos went up against Salazar's Finest, the Slytherins tried not to show any mercy. However, Sanchez's Chasers found holes in their defenses, scoring their only four goals right away. The Slytherins fought back hard, scoring one after another on Mateo, who kept having to dodge Bludgers as they were aimed for his head. Steffen managed to hit Yancy really hard in the upper spine, but he and Shailagh had to spend more time defending than attacking. Finally, after what seemed like two hours (but was really only one and a quarter), Emily and Vince went for the Snitch. One swipe of Shailagh's club decided the match; Vince had to swerve to dodge the Bludger and Emily snatched the Snitch. The final score was 190 – 70.

This left the announcement of the semifinalists to take place. This happened right after the game, while many of the audience was still around. Since this was the end of the regular season, scores were now going to be finalized. The top six teams were also to be announced, in no particular order. Rebecca tallied up the final scores, double-checked everything, and finally began to read off the semi-finalists.

"Okay, everyone… the semifinalists are…" read Rebecca, "In no particular order… Random Insanity, Almighty, Sanchez's Flying Burritos, Intransigence, The Superior Seven, and Salazar's Finest!"

The announced teams looked ecstatic, and all embraced and cheered and shouted. The Seniors looked furious, especially Cormac and Daren, who were ready to throw fits. Flower Power seemed a little put-out for a few seconds, but they soon joined in the applause going around for the teams. The Hell-Raisers knew they didn't have a shot, so the news wasn't shocking. As for the Hotties, they couldn't care less about the semi-finals; they were too busy doing a new post-season show for the crowd, all of whom appreciated it greatly. Even Emily and Steffen had to admit that some of those tosses and flips they did were pretty awesome, even with magic. But now they were only two weeks away from the semifinals and finals, and that meant it was time to get back to training.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Only three chapters left! I'm going to finish this before school's out… MARK MY WORDS! Please review… I love feedback!**


	17. Ch 17: After the Party

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Wh00t! Two chapters left! I did this all in one night, completely ignoring my finals. Enjoy!**

Chapter 17: After the Party

Two weekends later, the day of the semi-finals arrived. The Americans were all ready to go, and they stood with the other five teams on the Pitch on the morning of the match. Nobody, not even Shailagh, had any idea who was to play who. That was to be decided by the large scoreboard, which would churn out the match-ups for the day. It didn't take long; Madam Hooch tapped the board with her wand it and it spat out the first combination:

"Random Insanity versus the Superior Seven!" called Rebecca, "If I remember correctly, those two teams have never played each other."

"She's right," said Matt, "That worked out very conveniently."

"Second match… Sanchez's Flying Burritos versus Intransigence!" Rebecca said, "Should be a nice match-up. They played each other in the first game of the season, if memory serves me."

"She's right again," said Emily, "Though we won."

"Though they've gotten much better," Steffen interjected.

"Finally, another new match-up… Salazar's Finest versus Almighty. Well, now that we've got the teams, let's get this contest underway!"

The other teams left Random Insanity and the Superior Seven to play. It was an exhilarating match; the talent of the Superior Seven versus the creative flight patterns of Random Insanity. With Ginny's encouragement, the motley Random Insanity team played their best, though Mandy also pulled her team together in a huge offensive sweep. Still, the Superior Seven found themselves trailing 40 – 50 at the hour mark. That's when Melody and Ginny went into a dive.

Both girls were good Seekers; nobody denied that. Ginny was just a little bit more flexible, however, and her turns were a tad bit sharper than Melody's. In the end, as it had so many times before, one change in the angle of the Snitch determined the victor. Ginny took the Snitch, as well as the win, when the little golden ball suddenly dove to the right.

"Final score 200 – 40. And that will be the end of the Superior Seven in the Inter-House Quidditch League, I'm afraid," said Rebecca, sounding slightly apologetic, "You guys put on an excellent show worthy of your name. Now, let's get ready for a quote, unquote 'rematch,' Intransigence versus Sanchez's Flying Burritos!"

Emily hadn't been kidding in the least when she said not to underestimate the Intransigence girls. The Chasers, possibly by Maria's presence, came out of nowhere to destroy the defenses put up by Matt, Lisa, Jose, and Mateo. Goal after goal went past their Keeper as their complex passing patterns, coupled with the Bludger attacks from Henrietta and Jo, came flying at him. Shailagh finally had to take up a post above him to protect him, though it was to little effect.

Matt and Lisa finally broke through the Intransigence wave to score four goals in a row. Renee buckled down after that and started blocking with everything she had. That meant only Jose was able to score three more goals. Meanwhile, Adrianna, Maria, and Tabitha all went to town on the Burritos, hammering them with shots, passes, and a multitude of other things. Finally, after a grueling hour and forty-five minutes, Emily spotted the Snitch. The trouble was, Isis had spotted it as well, and she had contacts.

Normally, this would be meaningless. However, now that she didn't need to worry about keeping her thick, heavy glasses on her face, she was free to spend more time on focusing for the Snitch. As a result, she shot ahead of Emily, who had to spur her broom to catch up. They were neck-and-neck, the Snitch furiously diving and weaving through their groping arms. Then, like a shadow of doom, Henrietta and Jo came out of the sky, each hitting a Bludger straight at Emily.

The tried and true tactic had worked once again. Emily swerved to avoid the Bludger (but was still hit hard in the upper left arm), and that allowed for Isis to take the Snitch, and the win. The final score was an astounding 260 – 70, which knocked the Burritos out of the tournament, but guaranteed Intransigence a spot in the finals. The only question now: would either Almighty or Salazar's Finest be able to beat Random Insanity's score?

"They need a minimum of six goals and the Snitch to replace Random Insanity," said Rebecca.

"But that's really hard," said Luna, who had finally joined her, "Terri and I were both a little nauseated by the end of the game. I'm rather glad we won, though."

"Yes, Luna, I'm sure we all are," said Rebecca, "Now, Madam Hooch, whenever you're ready… BEGIN!"

At first, it seemed like neither side wanted to end the game. The Snitch taunted the Seekers, giving them easy targets for the first hour of the game. Meanwhile, the Chasers worked furiously to try and get above the sixty mark. After a while, Almighty began to pull ahead. When they scored the seventh goal, Vince decided it was time to take action. Though his team only had three goals, he knew that there was a small possibility that they'd lose if he didn't act, so he snagged the Snitch as it flew by his face, taunting him some more. That meant they won the game, 180 to 30, but they didn't beat Random Insanity's score.

"And both teams are finished for the season!" Rebecca screamed, "That means Random Insanity and Intransigence will move on to the finals to be held next Saturday at eleven in the morning! We hope to see you all there! This is Rebecca signing out."

"Oh… we're going to have to play Adrianna's team," Luna said, "This should be fun! I hope Jo doesn't hit me with her bat again…"

"Luna, I'm shutting the microphone off now," said Rebecca.

"Wait, I just wanted to say… … oh, screw it, Jesus already hates me as it is," Luna said, walking out of the booth.

"… Right," said Rebecca, as the stadium cracked up and the microphone switching-off sound was heard.

The teams were all congregated in the small hallway leading to the changing rooms. A few other students passed by to congratulate the finalists; others shot insults as those who had failed (Jo beaned Zacharias Smith in the back of the head when he insulted Salazar's Finest's "foolish catch." The big shocker, however, was when Esme Carter walked over to Adrianna and looked her right in the eye.

"You need to win next weekend," she said, her voice serious, "It's the last chance Slytherin has for honor in this game."

"But you've forgotten," said Adrianna, not showing any signs of flinching or other emotions, "This team has people on all houses. If we do win, it's a victory for everyone."

"We'll see," said Esme, brushing by her and leading the rest of her team away.

"I see she hasn't changed at all," said Matt, "I was hoping she would."

"Emily," said Shailagh, a strange look on her face, "Get to Hagrid's cabin. Now."

"Why?" asked Emily, looking confused, "Is there a problem."

"It's an Emergency. Let's go!" she shouted, pushing her, "Get a move on!"

The Americans, the Flying Burritos, and Intransigence ran out of the stadium and down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's Hut. He was not there, but a sign on his door directed them towards the lake, just inside the Forbidden Forest. With Shailagh now leading, the students sprinted towards the area depicted in the note. They saw a few gryphons milling about inside the trees. Further back, they heard the cries of a female.

"Where is Katrina?" Matt asked, stomach flopping, "She's not here!"

"Nor is Ryzalk," Emily added, "I hope she's alright!"

"Come on," Shailagh said, pushing through the undergrowth, "We're almost… there."

They came to a small clearing. Most of the gryphons now stood at least fifteen feet away in a large semi-circle. The only gryphons inside that ring were Hyro, who was screeching at anyone who got to close, Katrina who was looking bemusedly at the hunched form of Hagrid, who was bent over Ryzalk.

"Ryzalk!" Emily cried, running forward in a way that she hoped would not alarm the gryphon. Hyro reguarded her coldly for a few seconds before she was allowed to pass unharmed. Matt and Steffen also approached, but Hyro wouldn't let anyone else any closer than the other gryphons.

"What's wrong with her?" Steffen asked as they stopped near Hagrid.

Ryzalk lay on the ground. She wasn't moving, and her eyes were closed. Heart pounding, Emily looked into Hagrid's face. At first, his expression was hard to read, though his eyes were wet. Then, he held out a small figure wrapped in a blanket. It was a tiny gryphon, one that looked just like Ryzalk. She had finally had her baby.

"It's a girl," she squealed, cooing it. Hyro walked over and sniffed it, and then walked over to where Ryzalk was sleeping. He lay down next to her, exhausted from protecting her for so long. Katrina sat, still staring at the pair. Meanwhile, a few other gryphons approached carefully, looking at the new member to their clan. Then they walked away, their interest lost.

"Look," said Steffen softly as the baby opened her eyes, "She has her father's eyes."

The newborn gryphon let out a tiny whimper and Emily quickly set it down with her parents. She nestled between them and was asleep within seconds. Katrina also seemed very taken with the gryphon, and it wasn't long before she was dragging over weeds, branches, shrubs, and other woodland things to make a bed for the new family. Hagrid smiled and, putting a finger to his lips, led the students away.

"Leave 'm alone fer a couple o' hours," he whispered, "They need time ter adjust ter the little one."

"I was afraid she died or something," Maria said, carefully dodging the small ruts in the ground.

"As was I," said Jo, "You saw it, didn't you, Shailagh?"

"I did," said Shailagh, "And I didn't even get a headache. By all evidence of previous situations, I should have a splitting migraine. But I don't feel anything, not even a small twinge."

"Don't complain," said Jose, "You might jinx it."

"This is a rather nice change," said Shailagh, "I hope I can keep it that way."

The week of the final match was one of the easiest weeks the Americans ever had. In Care of Magical Creatures, they spent their class periods obsessing over the new baby while Hagrid reviewed with the rest of the class for their exam (the Americans were exempt from his exam). It was a similar story in Charms; Flitwick had excused the Americans from the Charms exam, so they were brushing up on some of their other skills for Elemental Magic and Charming while the rest of the class slaved away at the Illusionary spells they'd covered that year.

On the other hand, McGonagall and Snape would never consider exempting anyone from their exams. As a result, they were still working hard to keep good grades in Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, though it all seemed so pointless now that they did their work as quickly as possible and were done in a fraction of the time it took their friends. The same went for Binns, who didn't even seem to hear Matt's pleas for mercy as he marched on with his notes of famous witches and wizards of the 1970's.

Professor Trelawney, after three weeks of continuously clean classes, had walked in drunk once more. She had decided exams were inferior to her study and that nobody had to take them. This was followed by her angrily punching out a window and then sobbing because she'd broken a nail. Shailagh made a rather rude comparison between her and Gertrude, one that kept Matt and Lillian in hysterics for twenty minutes but seriously angered the Hotties in the room.

They almost had Professor Sinistra persuaded to allow them to skip, and then Josephine Vincent from Slytherin began to whine and complain. So, they were going to have to take the exam as well (though an easier version, something that made Josephine even angrier than before). Professor Slughorn also jovially declined Emily and Steffen's requests, saying that he'd never know their true talent if they didn't take the test.

Still, with two exams out of the way and one in a reduced form, that made their lives much easier. Even though they didn't have to play, they still eagerly anticipated the finals. Secretly, they wanted Random Insanity to win, but that was a tall order when they talked about Intransigence. The rest of the school joined sides, and the atmosphere rapidly changed to that of a normal match. Opposing fans attempted to intimidate the team members and banners, scarves, and pins made by the more dedicated students began to flourish.

Almost all the Intransigence team handled the pressure well; only Isis showed any major nerves. Renee looked a little paler than usual, but that was nothing compared to Lillian and Terri Thompson. Both girls trembled at the mere thought of the approaching game. The other Insanity members also showed signs of nervousness varying from paler skin to tremors when faced with opponents and their fans. Only Ginny and Luna remained steadfast (Ginny didn't care and Luna seemed to have forgotten about the approaching game).

Despite approaching O.W.L.s, the Fifth Year was one of the most represented at the Match on the last day of May. Matt had joined Rebecca in the Commentator's Podium since Luna had to play. The teams eventually met on the field where the sun was shining and the wind was gone; another perfect day for Quidditch.

"Captains, shake hands," Madam Hooch said.

Adrianna and Ginny shook hands in a friendly way. They returned to their spots and prepared to launch. Matt and Rebecca quickly relayed the names for everyone again and waited for Madam Hooch to launch the Quaffle. After a brief pause, she did.

"And the Quaffle is seized immediately by Adrianna Reynolds, like we all didn't see that coming," Matt said, "She soars down the Pitch, flanked by Tabitha Porter and Maria Martine, the substitute for Quinn Raphael. She takes it up… Renee Lorenzo of Intransigence is looking for a block… SCORE! Ten – nil to Intransigence."

"The Quaffle is taken by Luna who, as per usual, flies in a very erratic pattern to throw off her pursuers. Dodges Tabitha… dodges Adrianna… and Maria, wow, nice move. She shoots… SHE SCORES AS WELL! Ten-ten!"

That was the last time anyone scored for about fifteen minute. The Quaffle began to change possession at a high rate of speed. Neither Matt nor Rebecca could clearly keep tabs on who had it. At one confusing moment, Luna had thrown the Quaffle right to Tabitha, who was so shocked that she dropped it and caused mass panic on the field as all the Chasers frantically dove for it, except for Luna who was happily chasing a monarch butterfly away from the Bludgers.

"Now that Luna has left the game… mentally…" Rebecca said, "Maria Martine has taken the Quaffle. She's got very little challenge from anyone… she shoots… SAVED by Intransigence Keeper Manuella Jackson. She's had a pretty good season, especially for a Third Year…"

"I see Terri Thompson has the Quaffle again. She's gotten much more adept at handling it as the year's gone by," Matt said, "Dodges left… right… down… SHOOTS… saved by Intransigence's Keeper once more. Nice job, Renee."

This was followed by four goals from Random Insanity (two from Luna, one from Lillian, one from Terri) and three goals by Intransigence (two for Maria, one for Adrianna). As the first hour drew to a close, the teams had the score at 50 – 40 in favor of Random Insanity. The Beaters were finally getting into their strides, even Neville.

"Beautiful shot by Neville Longbottom," said Rebecca, "He forces Tabitha to roll and drop the Quaffle. He's a bit aggressive, I'd say."

Adrianna scored another goal, and the score became tied. Then, high above them, there was a commotion. Ginny and Isis were in a near-vertical dive, flying straight for the ground. They were both completely focused on something, and a few people in the stands began to get nervous as the ground loomed nearer and nearer to the girls.

"They need to pull up!" cried Rebecca, "They're going to get flattened!"

"One of the is," Matt said, "But I think the other is going to get the Snitch."

Jo pelted another Bludger at Ginny, but it went a little wide and Ginny didn't even flinch. Sarah Watkins did the same for Random Insanity, but likewise, missed Isis by a great margin. All eyes were on them; even Luna had abandoned her Mission of Mercy for the monarch butterflies.

"They're no more than a hundred feet from the ground!" cried Rebecca, "This is too much!"

As they became less than fifty feet from the ground, respiration in the Pitch ceased. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the inevitable crash that would mean someone was gravely injured. It never came. At the last second, both girls pulled parallel to the ground. The only difference is that one of them had the Snitch in their hand. However, her upwards pull was not quite enough, and the girl bounced onto the Pitch, going fifteen feet along it before coming to a rough stop. The other landed beside her opponent, making sure she was okay. Instantly, the other teams were surrounding her, trying to make sure she was alright.

"Can we please get Madam Pomfrey for her?" asked Matt, looking horrified.

"Who has it?" asked Steffen, "I missed it."

"Unless I'm mistaken… it's…" Emily said.

"ISIS LANCE HAS THE SNITCH!" cried Rebecca, "It has just been confirmed that the Intransigence leader caught the Snitch. She is being assisted by her teammates and Madam Pomfrey… and Madam Hooch looks ready to declare it…"

"INTRANSIGENCE WINS!" she shouted, holding her hands above her head.

The entire crowd went ballistic. Isis, looking dazed, realized for the first time that she had the Snitch in her hand. Instantly, Adrianna and Jo had lifted her onto their shoulders and tossed her high into the air (Madam Pomfrey looked scandalized). She waved to the crowd and then smiled at the Random Insanity team. She looked to Adrianna, who nodded. The two teams met in the middle of the Pitch, arms around each other, as a man from the Daily Prophet took a picture for a special section they were doing on the Inter-House Quidditch League.

"They don't seem too upset," said Jose.

He was right. In fact, the Random Insanity team looked as though they had just won the match themselves. They grinned widely as they talked with the Intransigence team as the Daily Prophet reporter got all of their takes on how the final game ended. Slowly, the stands emptied. All that remained were the Inter-House League teams, Madam Hooch, the Daily Prophet people, and Rebecca (Madam Pomfrey finally realized that she wouldn't get to Isis anytime soon, so she went back to the Hospital Wing instead).

"Ah! You must be the three Americans that ran this League," said the witch, advancing on the Americans as they approached, "Tell me. What possessed you to do this?"

"The fact that it was unjust and unfair for only seven of 200 people to be able to be on a House team," said Matt, "We wanted to give them a chance to play Quidditch for fun, the way it was intended."

"But this season did not go without problems, am I correct?" the witch prompted.

"No, of course not," said Steffen, "We have to cancel two games due to circumstances beyond our control… i.e. Mid-terms and angry staff members. But in the end, I'd say it worked out rather well."

"What are the plans for next year's League?" asked the witch.

"We plan to start one over at Seaside Academy," said Emily, "But as for Hogwarts… that will be up to the students who remain, whether they want to continue this as a tradition or not."

"Well, then, can we get a group picture? I'm sure you all have things you want to be doing…" she said, lining them up, "Say "Quaffle!"

"QUAFFLE!" they shouted and grinned as the camera blinded them.

"I say we have a banquet," said Emily, "For anyone involved with the Inter-House Quidditch League."

"Yes. I'll go alert the kitchens," said one of the Hell-Raiser's Beaters.

"We'll have to have an awards ceremony latter, then," Matt said, "I'll go place orders for the trophies right now."

"Let's go party!" said Maria, dancing a little.

"HOLD IT!" came a shrill cry. Madam Pomfrey came out of nowhere and snatched the horrified Isis by the arm, "I want to make sure she's alright. If she has a concussion, I'll be to blame!"

"Slow down, Pomfrey," said Yancy, eyebrow raised, "She's obviously fine."

"You can't know that until you've examined her carefully," hissed Madam Pomfrey, "She'll be released when she's ready."

"Go ahead and party without me, guys," said Isis, "I'll catch up."

"Hells no!" Adrianna exclaimed, "Girl, this is your party! You won the Cup for us. We will party when you're ready."

"Suit yourself, but you'll probably be waiting for a while," said Isis as Madam Pomfrey dragged her up the stairs and out of sight.

"Good job, guys," said a new voice, walking up to Adrianna. The girls turned to see Quinn standing there, smiling. Instantly, they embraced.

"You should have told me you were here!" Maria cried, "You should've been out there, not me!"

"You did wonderfully without me," said Quinn, smiling happily, "I'm just happy to be back, even if it is just in time for exams."

"How is…" began Jo, but stopped at a look from Adrianna.

"My dad? Oh, he's fine," said Quinn brightly, "That man you sent, Mr. Lupin… he came and talked to him for a couple hours. Now he's as chipper as ever. And we've even got a special system with St. Mungo's. As long as Dad helps them out, he gets his Potion for free."

"We're so relieved for you," said Tabitha, embracing her friend again, "But you're definitely coming to the party, right?"

"Of course," said Quinn, "If I'm allowed."

"We wouldn't want you to miss it," said Emily, grinning.

"Let's say… June 11th?" suggested Matt.

"Good idea. That gives you all a couple of weeks to study and let's us all gather our bearings. And, of course," said Blaine as he clapped Matt on the shoulder, "Enough time to order the trophies, eh?"

"You're all so materialistic," grouched Matt, grinning as they entered the Great Hall for dinner.

Two weeks later, at about nine-thirty, the Inter-House League students sat at their own respective tables, laughing and finishing the last of the desserts. They were waiting for the awards, and when it became apparent that it was time, Matt, Emily, and Steffen took the floor.

"Before we begin, I'd like to hand out two special awards," said Matt, "First, to our wonderful commentators who provided us with a great sense of joy and wonder. These go to Rebecca Gibbons and Luna Lovegood."

A round of applause went around as Rebecca and Luna each received trophies with a little person announcing things. If you wanted to, it would replay some of their better moments, something that the Ravenclaws were keen on Luna doing before the night was out.

"Our first Quidditch award goes to the third place team, the Bronze Trophy. The winners of this, with a grand total of 970 points… THE SUPERIOR SEVEN!" Emily said. They all walked up, picked up their trophy, and bowed for the applause, the guys clapping and making noise.

"The Silver Cup goes to the team with 980 points… SANCHEZ'S FLYING BURRITOS!" Steffen announced. They all assembled at the front, gave Emily the cup, and shouted, "BILLAY! DON'T FORGET YOUR SANDWHICHES!"

"And the Gold Cup, the team with a grand total of 990 points… INTRANSIGENCE!" Matt announced.

The girls all cheered and went to the front of the room. At first, neither Quinn nor Maria went, but they were both dragged up to join the team as they accepted the trophy and passed it to Adrianna, who allowed Isis to hold onto it with her. Pictures were taken and everyone was happy once again.

"The next award goes to the best chasers. Don't move, girls, it's Intransigence again!" Steffen said.

Again, Maria and Quinn had to be brought up from their seats to accept the award from Emily this time. They all smiled happily, though the Seniors (minus Marcus and Colin) looked rather stonily at them.

"Our next award… the best Beaters. We have a tie. From Intransigence, Jo and Henrietta; from Salazar's Finest, Yancy and Daniel!"

They two guys and girls each strutted to the front of the room and posed with their trophies as more pictures were taken. Esme and the Intransigence girls whistled and cat-called for the boys.

"Next up… you guessed it, Keeper. The winner is… MANDY BROCKLEHURST, from The Superior Seven!" shouted Emily.

Steffen presented her with the award, and she grinned happily as her team stood and applauded. She sat down and lay into the arms of Blaine, who was grinning widely as well.

"The Best Seeker in the Leauge is another tie," said Matt, "The winners are Emily Davis and Ginny Weasley!"

The girls accepted their awards with gusto, pretending to be touched and thanking "everyone who helped them achieve their goals."

"We awarded the 'most changes' award to the team that… well… underwent the most changes, be it in roster or whatever. Again, we have two winners: The Seniors and Hogwarts' Hotties," Matt said.

Predicatbly, the two teams milked it for all it was worth. The Hotties spent at least five minutes just arranging themselves for the photo. When they finally took their seats, it was close to ten.

"There can be only one overall winner, however," said Steffen, "And the winner of the Inter-House Quidditch League is… INTRANSIGENCE!"

For the third time, the girls assumed the stage to receive the award. Thankfully, they didn't take an obnoxious amount of time to arrange themselves, and they sat down again.

"And our final award," said Matt, "Goes to the League-wide picked 'Top Captain.'"

"The Top Captain for this year… is ADRIANNA REYNODS from Intransigence!" Emily said.

Adrianna looked a little surprised, but then smiled as she took the award from Steffen. Her team began to chant, "Speech, speech!" and soon everyone was doing it. Finally, she gave in.

"Well, girls, we made it," she addressed her team, "After all those grueling five-in-the-morning-hell-tests that I ran you through, you all did beautifully. And look what we have now! We're the top of the Leauge, the cream of the crop, the number 1 team in Hogwarts. To be honest, I think we could take the Gryffindor House Team. I say we do it this Saturday! What'd you all say!"

Everyone roared and applauded this. Matt smirked, wondering how much persuasion it would take to convince the Professors of that. Especially Snape. Emily also grinned; she wanted to see Intransigence stomp her own house team as well, sheerly for the entertainment value. Steffen cackled as he thought about the looks on their faces as Intransigence tripled their score in front of the whole school.

"However…" she said, "I do believe that we did more than win the championship. You will all agree with me, I'm sure, when I say we showed what this League was truly all about. This team would be laughable a year ago; people from each house connecting to reach a common goal? Impossible. Well, guess what? We did it. We have shown what this League's true purpose was. And I, for one, am proud to be on the team that calls themselves Intransigence."

The whole room stood and began to applaud for Adrianna, who smiled in spite of herself. Finally, from above the din, they heard Blaine and Dakota yell, "FOOD FIGHT!"

Within seconds, everyone was throwing food at each other. They continued to do it for about five minutes, and everyone was completely soaked and sticky by the end of the melee. Unfortunately, they didn't shut the door, and who should walk in but Argus Filch?

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!" he shouted, "WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?"

"Calm down, Filch. You're going to blow a fuse," said Adrianna, who was covered in pie.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" he shouted in her face, "NOBODY LEAVES THIS ROOM UNTIL YOU CLEAN ALL THIS UP!"

"You will not order us around," said Adrianna, angrily, "You have no authority over us. Get it through your thick skull. YOUR OPINION DOESN'T MATTER!"

"We'll see what the Headmaster has to say about this in the morning. Until then… you don't leave until this is cleaned up," hissed Filch.

"Fine," said Adrianna, coldly, "Goodbye now."

He hobbled away. Most of the other students followed him, after cleaning themselves up. Soon, all that remained were Intransigence, the Superior Seven, Random Insanity, the Flying Burritos, and part of Salazar's Finest. They stayed until well past midnight, cleaning up what they could without magic, as Filch had dictated. Finally, they were done.

"I gotta hand it to you, Reynolds," said Esme as they left, "You got some sand in you, that's for sure."

"I've been wanting to do that for so long. You have no idea," said Jo.

"I could care less," Adrianna said happily, "I'm out of here in less than a week. It doesn't matter to me."

"Anyway, we're gonna go wash up," said Matt, as he, Steffen, Emily, Rebecca, Rachel, Lisa, Jose, and Shailagh walked ahead. Jack decided to join them a moment later.

"I hate these halls at night…" muttered Matt, "They're creepy."

"I agree," said Emily, "Peeves is right around the corner, I'm sure."

"If he tries anything, I'll kill him," said Steffen, "I—"

"AAAAAARGH!" Shailagh suddenly screamed blue murder, falling to her knees, her hands clenched over her forehead. Tears streamed down her face as continued to moan. Jack looked mortified.

"We need to get her to the Hospital Wing," he shouted, "Jose, help me!"

"Right," he said, "You guys go on, we'll be back in a bit."

"D-D-Death… E-Eaters," rasped Shailagh, "Coming… tonight… Dumbledore… no…"

"What?" asked Emily, "Shailagh, what'd you say?"

Shailagh, however, had passed out from the pain. The two boys helped her up and began to carry her to the Hospital Wing. Now visibly shaken, the others continued towards the bathrooms and their sinks. Rebecca was shivering, and Rachel put an arm around her to steady her.

"It'll be alright," she assured her, "Shailagh does that now and then."

"I could've sworn she said something about Death Eaters…" muttered Matt, "Maybe I was imagining it?"

"No, I swore I—" Steffen began.

There was a muffled blast and the ground shook around them. Dust fell from the ceiling. The others froze, eyes widening. Hurried footsteps could be heard around them, and suddenly the castle seemed darker.

"Let's get out of here," Matt said, "This is too creepy."

"We'll all just go to the Ravenclaw Common Room for the night," Steffen said, "Let's go…"

They altered their course and took a left instead of a right. This took them further away from the central castle; further away from the large bang they had heard. However, this was a mistake on their part. When they finally turned a corner, they saw two lone figures standing there. The candles barely lit them, but it was easy to see that they had masks on. Emily's breath caught in her throat. It wasn't possible.

"Hello, there," said one of the voices, the older one. It was a rough, cold, taunting voice.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Steffen, bluntly.

"Why, you don't remember me?" asked the other one, shorter than the first.

"Remember you? What are you talking about?" asked Matt.

"They seem to have forgotten you," said the first man, and they could hear amusement in his cold voice, "But I am sure you haven't forgotten them."

"Not at all," said the shorter one, "But I'm sure we can refresh their memories."

He raised his wand and everyone else did likewise. Both of the others laughed.

"You're the Death Eaters Shailagh warned us about," muttered Lisa.

"Very good, blondie," said the taller man, "You must be Lisa."

"Who are you?" asked Matt again.

"I can't believe you don't remember me, Matt," taunted the shorter one, "After all, we were friends last year."

"I can't believe you, you bastard," hissed Emily, "You turned to the Death Eaters."

"And now I've come back," said Seth, "Save the sob story. Move out of the way, I want to speak with… her…"

"Rebecca? What has she got to do with—?" Matt began to ask.

"_IMPEDIMENTA!_" roared the two voices.

Caught by surprise, the Americans, Lisa, and Rachel were thrown backwards onto their backs. Only Rebecca stood, terrified, in the center of the hallway. Her eyes continued to widen as the taller one turned his wand to her.

"Well, my daughter, I think it's time you… REVEALED YOURSELF!" he shouted, a light shooting from his wand. It collided with the First Year, who was lifted up into the air. She began to scream.

"What are you doing to her?" asked Steffen as he pulled himself and Emily up, "Leave her alone, dammit!"

"We can't," said the shorter one, his wand trained on them, "It's important that we speak to her."

"What does Rebecca Gibbons have to do with you?" asked Emily defiantly.

"That is not Rebecca Gibbons," said the shorter one, moving forward, "Watch."

Rebecca was changing before their eyes. Her hair changed from the bright red it had been to jet black. Her eyes, green at first, were now a deep, dark blue. Her facial features changed, too: her nose became just a hair longer, her ears shrank, and her lips became slightly fuller. She fell to the ground, finally complete. The glasses fell away as her long, black hair spilled over her convulsing body.

The short one removed his hood at last. He looked a lot like the one everyone had thought was Rebecca: same black hair, same facial features, but his eyes were an icy gray. No emotion radiated from them, and he seemed incapable of feeling any sympathy. His face curled into a nasty grin as he approached the girl, who looked up with him in a mixture of fear and rage.

"Her name is Sharolyn McGuire. And she's my sister," he said, facing Emily, the grin still there, "Yes. I have returned. I am, of course, Seth McGuire."

**From the Author's Mind:  
For those of you wondering, Seth was a character from Back to Hogwarts. His new appearance fulfilled a prophecy about where he would go, and it has had a big impact on Emily who was his friend. And now… he wants to kill her. Isn't that great? Anyway… stay tuned for the last two chapters, coming at you soon! **


	18. Ch 18: Modern Magic, Part 2

**From the Author's Mind:**

**This is the second-to-last chapter. I warn you ahead of time, it's a little more violent and there's some strong language. But you can just ignore that. So… enjoy! If you… can…?**

Chapter 18: Modern Magic, Part 2

"You…" Emily breathed, staring at Seth.

It has been a full year since the last time Emily had seen Seth. He had been in Gryffindor with her the previous year, and she had considered him a friend. Though quiet, Seth was not one to take pushing, and he did have a territorial side that was rarely shown. For a second, she didn't notice anything but Seth. Then Rachel broke the silence.

"Rebecca! Are you alright?" she cried, rushing toward her friend.

"Idiot girl!" shouted the taller Death Eater, blasting her back with Impedimenta again, "You should have realized it by now. Rebecca Gibbons is an assumed name; the person never existed. It was a pitiful attempt at hiding my wife and daughter away from us. But it's over; we know exactly where they are now."

"And where would that be?" asked Steffen, "You're bluffing."

"Of course, I may be," said the tall Death Eater, a grin on his exposed mouth, "But then again… one of you knows I'm right. They live across from you, Lisa. Right across the road, in the Douglass' old house."

"Dammit," swore Lisa, "And I suppose you're here to kill Re—Sharolyn?"

"So one of you does have a brain," said Shane McGuire, finally removing his hood as well. Identical to Seth, only taller and more muscular, he leered at her, "And since you've seen us, that means the rest of you must go as well."

"Over our dead bodies," said Steffen, walking forward.

"Don't make it so easy for us," drawled Seth, "But the first person I want is Emily."

"_RELASHIO!_" shouted Steffen, firing a spell at Seth. He grinned and dodged, the spell ricocheting off a wall.

"Calm down, Steffen," Matt and Emily hissed, "Wait."

"You're not alone, are you?" said Rachel, as the bangs around them continued, "There are more of you. Perhaps a half dozen or more."

"Right again, brat," said Shane McGuire, glaring at the young girl, "But that is irrelevant to our situation."

"Why do you need to kill Sharolyn and your wife?" asked Matt, "What did they do to you? They can't possibly know our whereabouts…"

"It is…" came a pained voice, "A mark… of shame…"

Sharolyn had staggered to her feet. She fell towards one wall and Rachel quickly caught her. Seth and Shane glared, raising their wands, but didn't fire. The Americans and Lisa moved forward as well, and the wands move to their hearts.

"A mark of shame?" asked Emily, "How so?"

"Those in You-Know-Who's inner circle…" she panted, "If anyone of their family should refuse him… it's a mark of shame that nobody wants to deal with…"

Another loud bang and a muffled cry came from above them. Shivering, the Americans, Lisa, Rachel, and Sharolyn stared at the male McGuires. Both seemed to be slowly running out of patience.

"You can damage us," hissed Shane, "The Dark Lord knows this, but he won't say how. He just says that you and your Mudblood mother must be eliminated as soon as possible."

"Don't say that about Mom," said Sharolyn, "You worthless excuse for a human being!"

"_CRUCIO!"_ shouted Seth, pointing his wand at his sister. She shoved Rachel away and barely managed to avoid the curse. It hit the wall and sent a large rock flying into Matt's arm.

"You little whore," he said, seething. He took three steps forward, but found himself restrained by his father.

"Not yet," he said, "We don't want to draw attention to this area yet."

"Emily," muttered Matt, "People must know about this by now… I don't think some of the Inter-House players made it back to their dorms yet… we have to… let them know…"

"I'm on it," Emily said, and then, silently, she cast "Sonorus" on herself.

"You will all die, that is for certain," said Shane, "But the question is… how will you die? Will you give up peacefully? If you do, we will spare you the pain and just Avada you. Otherwise, you'll wish you were dead."

"We won't let you hurt us," said Lisa, "Not without a fight anyway."

"In that case… Seth, you take Emily, I'll take the boys. Now you will feel—" began Shane.

"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!" shouted Emily, the message shooting around the school, "THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! DEATH EATERS HAVE INVADED HOGWARTS! REMAIN INSIDE YOUR DORMITORIES AT ALL TIMES! I REPEAT: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR COMMON ROOMS AND STAY BARRICADED AND AT THE READY! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A BLOODY DRILL!"

"I hope you're proud of yourself," said Seth with a grin, "You know what panic this will cause? Now more students will be slaughtered, all because you couldn't keep quiet. _Crucio!_"

Again, Emily managed to dodge, but barely. Lisa, Emily, and Steffen launched themselves at the male McGuires, while Matt and Rachel rushed over to help escort Sharolyn away. She moved slowly; whatever Shane McGuire had done to her, it had been enough to sap her of her energy. When Matt turned around again, Lisa was thrown away from the group, into a wall. Emily and Steffen were also barely keeping it with them as they dueled. Matt had to do something. He focused for a second, thinking of a spell, his mind and heart racing.  
"INDIGNATION!" he shouted, pointing his wand at them.

Everyone froze; even the McGuires. Seth and Shane were utterly lost at why Matt had screamed that. Steffen and Emily groaned inwardly. How could one mix up a spell like that at a time like this? Rachel and Sharolyn looked completely confused.

"Uh… I mean… _Stupefy!_" Matt said, pointing it at Seth. The boy barely deflected the spell, and returned it towards Matt, who blocked it.

"What the hell kind of spell was that?" raged Steffen.

"Sorry," Matt muttered.

Just then, a strange, purple aura began to enclose itself around the McGuires. Emily and Steffen took a step back. The McGuires, confused, stared at it. Four arcs of light began to raise themselves around the cone-like structure of the arc. They began to move just as it reached the peak. A massive explosion of lightning occurred inside the thing, sending both the Death Eaters flying into a wall, stunned but not out.

"How… did you…?" Emily asked, eyes bugging.

"I don't know," Matt replied, "Let's get out of here."

"That was from Tales of Symphonia!" Steffen cried, "Yet you managed to do it. How?"

"GO!" Lisa shouted, pushing them forward.

They ran to the nearest staircase and pushed down past it. As they ran through the dark corridors, no sense of direction at all, they nearly collided with three people: Adrianna, Maria, and Jose, who had been near the Hospital Wing, were also dashing through the corridors, looking confused and scared.

"Emily! What's going on?" asked Adrianna, looking more terrified than they'd ever seen her, "You said something about Death Eaters?"

"They've invaded Hogwarts," Emily said, "We need to get to a fortification, or something…"

"This isn't possible. How could they get past Dumbledore?" cried Maria.

"Calm, Maria, calm. We need to escape and get help," said Jose, "Let's…"

Suddenly, they saw a flash of light. Around the corner came three Death Eaters, sprinting hard. One, slightly hunched over and with horribly gigantic canines, stared at them hungrily. Then, he dove for Sharolyn, who was still catching her breath. Emily was the first to react.

"AIR THRUST!" she shouted, pointing her wand at the Death Eater.

Out of nowhere, a gust of wind appeared, slamming straight into the man and sending him flying back about twenty feet. He landed hard with a crash and immediately jumped to his feet. He growled and ran back towards him, but Matt was ready to try something new.

"HOLY LANCE!" he shouted, focusing on the effect the spell was to have.

Around the Death Eater, a multi-colored light surrounded him. Swords of light appeared and hung for a second, before plunging into him at four different angles. A fifth came straight from the ceiling shooting right through him and bisecting him. He fell back, howling with pain and rage, and sprinted out after the others.

"How are you doing that?" asked Steffen, "This doesn't make any sense."

"That was Fenrir Greyback," muttered Jose faintly.

"Let's get going!" Maria cried, "We don't know how many more there are!"

She lead them ahead. Having been friends with Fred and George in previous years, she knew a tad more secret passageways than the Americans and even Jose and Lisa. Sharolyn could barely keep up, and about the second floor, she had to stop and catch her breath.

"That spell," she whispered, "Whatever it was… it hurt so bad…"

"Here, let me try something," Matt said, pointing his wand to her, "First Aid!"

A green aura surrounded her for a couple of seconds, and then a flash. She blinked, flexed her fingers, and stood up. She looked highly reenergized, and she was ready to run. Still bewildered by how it was being done, the young witches and wizards ran forward, down two more flights of stairs. Along the way, however, they encountered a few terrified Gryffindors, each hugging an alcove in the hallway as protection. Emily was furious.

"STAY IN YOUR DORMITORIES, GODDAMIT! WE ARE NOT JOKING! YOUR LIVES ARE AT RISK! YOU CAN BE STUPID AT ANY OTHER TIME, BUT USED SOME FREAKING COMMON SENSE, PEOPLE! STAY INSIDE YOUR DORMITORIES UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!" Emily paged the school again.

"Estupidos," muttered Maria as they shot by the Gryffindors and entered the Entrance Hall, "How could they not take us seriously? When would we kid about something like this at one in the morning?"

"Either they're scared beyond all rational thought," said Matt, "Or they don't want to believe it's happening."

"We've gotta find Mateo!" said Jose, skidding to a halt, "Sorry guys, we've gotta go back!"

"Yes," said Maria, "Mom would kill us if we left him. Go on without us, you'll be okay."

"Alright," Matt said, "Good luck!"

"I'm going with them," said Lisa, sprinting after them, "Go!"

The others reached the front doors; the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw hourglasses were broken and cracked. A few students hid among the wreckage, though none looked hurt. With another impatient hiss, the Americans and the others with them escaped into the night. They were racing down the lawns, straight towards Hogsmeade, when they were all knocked forward to the ground by an unseen force. Emily felt something grab her leg.

"You little bitch," he hissed, slapping her across the face. Emily spun, falling to the ground. He kicked her in the side, and she rolled to the ground, her nose bleeding and her breath stabbing her chest.

"You asshole…" Steffen muttered, "I'll kill you. I'LL FREAKING KILL YOU!"

He launched a number of hexes at Seth, trying his best to catch him off guard. Seth countered each and every one of them. Emily, meanwhile, was only able to try and stop the pain inside her chest; she was sure a rib was broken and she was bleeding internally. A few feet away, Matt and Shane McGuire were locked in furious combat, though Shane had gained the upper hand.

He slashed his wand through the air, and a Matt was thrown high into the air. He landed hard on his back and didn't move. That left only Rachel and Sharolyn, both still sprinting away. Shane sent another curse their way, and Rachel was thrown about twelve feet forward. She landed hard on the ground and didn't move, same as Matt had. That left the girl defenseless.

"You won't get away with this, father," she said, quietly.

"We'll see, my dear," he said, waving his wand and pointing at her, "We'll… _see!_"

Sharolyn began to scream as the torturing curse was put on her. Shane cackled madly as his daughter withered in pain. Emily finally managed to gain control of her right hand and she shot a hex right at Shane, one that she hoped would injure him. The man jerked to the right, now with a huge cut on his face. As blood dripped from it, he turned his attention to Emily.

"You haven't had enough?" he said, "Fine. I'll show you what powers I've got…"

He sent a black wave towards her, and Emily felt as though she was having her skeleton ripped from her body. Though her body was not being hurt in any other way, she was experiencing a different type of pain; one even different from that of the Cruciatus Curse. It went on, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Steffen was also having a problem battling Seth. The Death Eater was doing much better at his Dueling than Steffen, and his spells were more deadly. After the three long minutes he had battled, Steffen had suffered multiple damages: his ribs felt bruised and broken, his nose, arms, and legs were bleeding profusely, and his vision was blurred by a splitting headache. Seth merely grinned.

"Had enough?" he asked.

"Like hell," said Steffen, waving his wand at the boy again. This time, he focused silently on a spell that he remembered from the game. Various stones exploded form the ground, slamming into Seth.

"How did you… no matter. _CRUCIO!_" Seth retaliated.

This time, Steffen felt like he was on fire. The pain was beyond anything he'd ever felt; every nerve was lit up. He screamed, it was impossible not to. Unless this pain stopped soon… he didn't know what would happen. Just when he thought he'd reached the breaking point, a small explosion was heard and the attack stopped.

Matt was sitting up, his wand pointed towards the Forbidden Forest. A small fire burned there, and a grin was on Matt's lips. He had obviously just cast something, likely Flame Lance or Eruption. But that wasn't the reason he was happy.

A second later, Emily felt the pain lessen on her as well. But then she heard a noise, the most wonderful noise one could hear at that time: the enraged roar of a gryphon. Hyro, Katrina, and Ryzalk had all come to help their owners, and they were doing a good job. Hyro was attacking Seth relentlessly with his talons and beak, Ryzalk was beating Shane with her wings and ripping skin with her beak, and Katrina alternated between the two, bashing them repeatedly over the head with a large branch she had taken from her little corner of the pen.

"Good job, guys," Matt muttered, inching forward to Emily.

"Quick thinking," said Emily, grimacing, "Don't let them hurt the gryphons."

"Here," Matt said, "I'll try this… First Aid!"

Emily felt slightly better; it felt as though the internal bleeding and her ribs had subsided and mended. She sat up, the blood still coming from her nose. She wiped it onto her sleeve and then noticed something else: Matt was so pale that he almost glowed in the moonlight.

"Matt, you need to stop," she said, "You're going to pass out."

"I do feel slightly lightheaded," said Matt, "I think I will just take a breather."

He lay back on the ground and closed his eyes. Ignoring the cries of the McGuires and the rage of the gryphons, she tended to Steffen's wounds the best she could. Rachel was over helping Sharolyn, so they turned their attention back to the Death Eaters. Suddenly, Shane fired a spell right into Ryazalk's side, and she hit the ground with a scream. Behind them, Hagrid's cabin suddenly burst into flames.

"No!" cried Emily, dodging a spell sent at her by Shane, "Ryzalk!"

Hyro came out of nowhere once more and clawed Shane so furiously in the back that he doubled over. Another spell sent at Hyro ended his spree. Seth was collapsed on the ground, bleeding worse than the Americans combined. Shane, however, seemed to finally realize it was over.

"We'll come back for you. All of you," he said, "Don't think we won't. You've only gained a little bit of time now. Let's go, Seth."

"Hold it," Matt muttered, "F… Flame Lance…"

A sword of fire shot out of the sky and slammed into the McGuires. It exploded, hurling them both forward. Emily, Steffen, Rachel, and Sharolyn all crawled over to him, and saw that he was unconscious.

"Dammit, Matt," muttered Emily, "You never take my advice when you need it."

"Let's go…" Steffen said, realizing that the McGuires were gone, "We have to… get to Madam Pomfrey…"

"What about the gryphons?" asked Emily, horrified again.

However, she needn't have worried. Both Ryzalk and Hyro were staggering to their feet; Katrina was unharmed. The fire in Hagrid's cabin was being extinguished, and the Americans noticed the caste in full for the first time. All eyes locked onto one thing at the same time: the Dark Mark above the castle. Then, they noticed light spilling onto the grounds as students crept out, looking terrified.

"It's official," muttered Emily, "The students of Hogwarts are the biggest morons on earth."

"Let's go…" said Steffen.

Supporting each other and walking very slowly, they returned towards the castle. As they approached, they noticed a large group of students. They were standing in a semi-circle near the bottom of the Astronomy tower. Their curiosity getting the better of them, they moved forward. Some people cried; others looked stunned. Many seemed to have lost their souls entirely, no expression on their face.

"What's going on?" whispered Rachel.

They found Maria, Mateo, Jose, and Lisa standing in a group, arms around each other. They glanced at the Americans and renewed sobs came as they hugged them (though lightly, noting the looks of pain they were in).

"What's wrong?" asked Matt.

"It's… it's… Dumbledore," said Maria, quietly, "He's… he's dead…"

"What?" Steffen gasped, looking past a group of Second Years, "Oh… oh no…"

Lying at the base of the tower was the body of the Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful, minus the blood from his nostrils and the horrible angle his legs and arms were at. It was so strange to see him lying there like that, and then it registered with them: Albus Dumbledore was dead.

Without really realizing how they got there, the Americans found themselves in the Hospital Wing. Sharolyn and Rachel were there, and Lisa was sporting a few bandages. Neville was a bit further down the row, and another man was in the bed three down from him. The sun was peaking into the windows, casting shadows along the far wall. Reality caught up with them all at once, and they started.

"How long have we been here?" asked Emily, wincing as she moved.

"It's morning," said Sharolyn, quietly, "Another beautiful day."

"Oh, good morning," said a voice.

They turned to see Luna walking towards them. She didn't look like her normal self, however. She was more normal-looking than ever, and her eyes had a look of great sadness in them. She quickly relayed the night's events, and the Americans gasped.

"We should have been able to help you!" cried Matt, "We still have those coins, we just didn't have them with us!"

"I can't believe it… I don't know how they got in…"

"I… I think Malfoy had some sort of Vanishing Cabinet trick or something?" said Luna, "I don't really understand the specifics myself, but… well… it doesn't matter, does it?"

Luna looked miserable again. She sighed, giving them a small smile.

"The funeral will be in a few days," she said, "Exams are postponed, and a funeral is planned for Thursday. That gives us about seven days to get our affairs in order and get ready to go."

"Can we leave?" asked Matt, standing, "I think we're okay…"

"I'll be the judge of that," said a very subdued Madam Pomfrey. After examining all of them, Matt, Steffen, Lisa, Rachel, and Neville were given the all-clear. She wanted to keep Sharolyn and Emily for at least one more night to make sure there wasn't any more damage.

"Let's get back to the dorms for at least a few minutes," Matt said, sighing, "We need to pack now."

"Saves us the trouble of doing it later…" agreed Steffen as they, Lisa, and Rachel all made their way to the Common Room.

Inside, a large number of students were either just waking up or staring blankly at the walls. The previous nights' events had still not caught up with them yet. But that was not true for the people in their Year.

"The Patil twins are already gone," informed Blaine as Matt and Steffen entered the Common Room, "And the Smiths are going to be gone tomorrow as well. Dakota and Terry both had to leave this morning, too. Mandy is fighting with her parents to stay until the funeral, and I'm having a small war with my old man as it is."

"Where's Jack?" asked Matt, suddenly noticing the absence of their other roommate, "And have you heard anything about Shailagh?"

"I know she left the Hospital Wing early this morning. She went back to Hufflepuff's Common Room. Jack has been with her all night," he said, "I believe Melody is, too, I haven't seen her at all."

Matt and Steffen silently packed their belongings. As he was cleaning out his shelves, Matt found the book Dumbledore had given them about halfway through the year, Modern Magic. He frowned, opening about halfway through. Again he was met with confusing human psychology explanations and its ties to magic. With another sigh, he shut the book and resumed packing.

Emily was released the next day. Sharolyn was kept overnight again. Rachel went to stay with her, as she was the closest thing that she had to a friend. Over the next week, the Americans met with various students, mainly Inter-House League members, and sent notes to their parents informing them of the early return plans. One-by-one, students left. All of the Flower Power team, except for Rachel and Isabel, was gone by the first Saturday. All of Almighty was gone by Tuesday, and Wednesday saw the last of Helga's Hell-Raisers and Hogwarts' Hotties made their departure.

Shailagh had barely spoken to anyone since her fit. She blamed herself, and everyone knew it. Still, nobody could do anything to change her mind; she felt responsible that she hadn't been able to save Professor Dumbledore. She felt it was her fault that nobody was warned in time. She slipped into depression and withdrew from everyone. There was nothing anyone could do for her.

Finally, the night of the funeral approached. Only one more day stood between them and their departure from Hogwarts, possibly for the last time. The only bright ray of sunshine on the dark horizon was the invitations they received to Jack and Melody's wedding, which would be held a little later in July. And there was also a rumor, but nothing came to it, that Melody might already be with child.

Wednesday night, the Americans sat alone, with nothing to do. They weren't tired, and they needed something to make them feel drowsy. Matt pulled out Modern Magic, and they began to read the first paragraph. After the boring introduction, they found a small section in the book, one that made them all sit up straighter and read.

Although most wizards and witches believe the only true magic that can come about is the kind that has a proper incantation, recent wizards like the Seer Lady Shandra, Lyle A. Hourton, and Abjuration Professor Doctor Josephine Tavoularius have taken a great interest in a newly proposed theory of "Modern Magic" where magic is actually a force created within the human mind that can be manipulated if one has the belief that it is possible. They believe that incantations have their place, but that they severely limit the true potential of magic.

"We believe," states Hourton in his study, "That we can do anything we want with magic, to an extent. Many studies have shown that magic is, indeed, mental, and our proof comes from silent incantations. However, we plan to take this one step further. If a person can be verse in these spells, who is to say that they cannot create their own magic?"

His theory has come under heavy criticism, including by groups who feel it is dangerous to spread this sort of sensationalism around. There has been a long history of fatal accidents as people experimented with their own spells and magic, something Hourton acknowledges but chooses to ignore anyway. His thesis and theories have been published in this book. However, there is no substantial evidence to back it up, other than the words of Lady Shandra.

"You all scoff at this, but you all will find that you are wrong," she said, "Soon, we will see our proof, in the form of a few dedicated youngsters whose minds have not been warped by your narrow-minded ways. You will see, as I have, that magic will have far less limits, and that we will be able to do things you never thought possible. Until now."

"This is it," said Matt, quietly, "This explains it. When we were casting those spells last week… we were manipulating the magic energy, just like this says. And that thing Lady Shandra talked about? It refers to use!"

"It seems that way. I wish we could ask Professor Dumbledore about this…" said Steffen, and then he bit his lip.

"We'd… better get some sleep…" muttered Emily, who had decided to sleep in the Ravenclaw Common Room that night, "It's going to be… a long day tomorrow."

The boys nodded and they all went to the Boy's dorms. Blaine had already been asleep for a while, and Jack was barely conscious as it was. Matt set the book down below his bed, right inside his trunk. He climbed into bed, said goodnight to Steffen and Emily, and fell asleep. Inside all of their dreams, they mulled over this new information, wondering if it was even remotely possible that they could ever do the so-called Symphonian Magic again. It wasn't long before the dreams took a turn for the darker side, and nightmares plagued their sleep, their journeys of self-discovery a distant memory in the mystery that is the sleeping human mind.

**From the Author's Mind:**

**One more chapter! I'm so close I can taste it! But first… CHEMISTRY REVIEW SHEET OF DOOM!**


	19. Ch 19: Hitsuzen

**From the Author's Mind:**

**Well… here it is, everyone. This is the final chapter of Return to Hogwarts. It's been a long run, and I've enjoyed writing it. This is my last fanfiction until Book 7 comes out. I'm going to start on my real stories now. Thanks to everyone who supported and reviewed my works; I plant to use your advice in my future stories. The only thing I should explain is the title: Hitsuzen. It's a Japanese word. Now, enjoy Chapter 19, the last in Return to Hogwarts.**

Chapter 19: Hitsuzen

The morning of the funeral was a very difficult one for everyone. Matt, Emily, Steffen, Jack, and Blaine met Melody, Mandy, and Lisa, and they walked silently to the Great Hall. Damage from the battle could still be seen, and some corridors were roped off. The Americans had avoided the western side of the school as much as possible recently, ever since they were cornered by the McGuires. The Great Hall was almost silent, and nobody was really eating. Their numbers had dwindled; less than half of the students remained at the school.

The Americans and the other Ravenclaws were soon joined by Shailagh, Mateo, Jose, Lillian, Rachel Younger, Sharolyn, and the Smith twins, who had returned with their parents for the funeral. They made their way down the grounds to where the large, white, marble table was. The group filled in seats about the third row back, right behind all the important Ministry officals.

"Are you nervous?" asked Nate to Melody.

"Not at all," said Melody, who was looking sad, but not nervous.

"Why?" asked Emily.

"They asked me to sing, after the man gives his sermon," said Melody, "I'm doing this for Dumbledore only. I… I think he would have wanted me to, right?"

"Of course," said Jack, pecking her on the cheek, "He loved your voice."

After everyone finally got settled, a mysterious, ghostly sound filled the air. The merepeople in the lake were singing in their language. It was haunting and mournful, yet still beautiful. As they sang, Hagrid walked up the aisle, carrying the draped body of Dumbledore. Many people around the Americans had to wipe their eyes as he passed. In front of them, they saw Professor Umbridge wearing a look of fake sadness. The Minister and Ex-Minister sat in the front row, and Emily and Matt felt a rush of hatred towards them.

When Hagrid walked away (blowing his nose loudly as he did so), a small man in a plain, black robe stood. He began into a longwinded graveside speech, but he was a wretched monotone and his voice droned on without anything. Against their will, the Americans found themselves dwelling on Modern Magic and what it could possibly mean for them. Ten minutes later, he finished, introducing Melody as he did so.

Melody stood before the hundreds of people gathered to pay their lasts respects to Dumbledore. She held a single rose over her chest, cleared her throat, and began to sing "Amazing Grace." Without even a microphone, her voice carried around to everyone, even those in the furthest back row. Everyone felt something rising inside of them as they listened, and it was impossible to completely explain the feeling. It was, at once, something so wonderful, and yet so sad.

When she finished, she placed the rose ad the bottom of the table. She knelt down and bowed her head to the marble table for a few seconds, saying a prayer. Then she straightened up, wiped her eyes, and took her seat. There was a minor pause, and then the Americans jumped as everyone around them gasped and screamed. White flames had begun to engulf the body, obscuring it from view as it sent white smoke high into the air. When it finally ended, all that was left was a white, marble tomb.

Arrows began to fill the air as the centaurs paid their final respects to Dumbledore. In front of them, Umbridge shook furiously, obviously afraid of them. After a few seconds, it was clear that nothing else was going to happen, and people began to stand. After glancing at each other, the Americans did so as well. The Smiths bade them goodbye and left. Mandy and Blaine were swept away by their parents as well. That left only the Americans, the Martines, the Hackers, Lisa, Sharolyn, Lillian, and Rachel.

"I'm sorry about how I've acted," whispered Shailagh, her voice hoarse, "I know it's stupid… I just need time to sort out my feelings."

"It's alright, Shailagh," replied Emily, "We can never relate to you; you have a burden that we can only dream of. However… don't blame yourself too much, okay?"

"Everyone… this is goodbye for me," said Sharolyn, "I'm sorry to have deceived you this entire year."

"What are you talking about? You didn't deceive us," said Steffen, "You saved your life. That's all."

"I know," Sharolyn said, "But… I was Rebecca Gibbons for so long… I almost forgot who I was as well. We're going into hiding again, Mom and I. But we're going far away from here; far away from England. They haven't told us exactly where, but I'm hoping Japan. I don't think we'll ever see each other again."

"Won't we ever be able to talk to you again?" asked Rachel in a quiet voice.

"Well… someday, you might just get a request to be a penpal from a lonely girl in Tokyo," said Sharolyn with a smile, "They'll only let me communicate with one person, and I've chosen you, Rachel."

"I'm truly honored. I suppose you'll be leaving now?" said Rachel, hugging her, "Good luck."

"You as well," said Sharolyn.

She turned away from them, walking slowly towards a Ministry official. She was escorted toward the gates by three Aurors. They watched her disappear over the hill that lead to Hogsmeade. She never looked back.

"Well," said Emily after a brief pause, "We'd better say good-bye to everyone."

"Yes," said Steffen, "Especially the gryphons."

"They first said good-bye to their various Professors. McGonagall, Sinistra, Flitwick, and Slughorn all wished them luck at Seaside, as well as warning them to be safe. Sprout said a stiff good-bye to them, though she was more preoccupied with the funeral than anything. Professor Trelawney warned them about the dark images she was having about their futures and begged them all to keep safe.

Saying good-bye to the gryphons was the hardest part of all. Still bandaged and bruised from the attack, they were sitting with the new baby and keeping it safe as it began to stand on its legs, slightly wobbly at first. They patted them on the forehead and rubbed their fur and feathers. The eyes of the graceful animals bore into the very souls of the Americans, each looking a little sad but resigned to their fate. Only Katrina made a small noise of sadness, nestling her head into Matt's lap.

"I'll see wha' I can do abou' them," Hagrid said to them in an undertone, "Yeh sai' yer going ter Seaside, righ'?"

"Aye," they replied.

"I won' make yeh any promises," whispered Hagrid, "But… we'll see…"

They knew better than to get their hopes up. It was lucky that they were even able to have the gryphons at Hogwarts; transporting them to America would be a huge chore in itself. Still, that small hope that they may be able to someday see them again… it was one of the few things that sustained them on the quiet ride home.

It seemed as though nobody on the train spoke as they made their way back across the countryside. In one of the larger compartments, Matt, Emily, Steffen, Lisa, Mateo, Jose, Maria, Lillian, Rachel, Jack, Melody, Adrianna, Jo, Quinn, and Isabel, Melody's younger sister, sat in silence. Many were dosing since they didn't have any sleep the previous nights.

The Intransigence girls all lay with their heads on each other; Melody and Jack were together on a seat to themselves, and Isabel and Rachel slept underneath two different seats. Lillian and Mateo sat together, reading. Jose and Maria were in a quiet, low conversation that didn't carry. Shailagh stared out the window, lost in thought. Lisa had claimed a seat to herself and slept with her beret over her face. The Americans continued to pour over Modern Magic.

In the hours that it took them to reach their destination, they learned only a tiny bit of the information offered from the bombastic language of the book. For example, they learned that "custom spells," as they were referred to, sapped the body of energy at a high rate, especially more powerful ones (thus explaining why Matt had blacked out after going crazy on the spell-casting). They also learned that it would be utterly impossible for one person to create the same exact effect spell as another person; the spells would always differ in one way or another.

It was almost dark when the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station. The entire compartment seemed jerked back into reality as the whistle blew in the front of the train. Outside, children were already jumping off the train, embracing various relatives with sobs and cries of joy. They all glanced at each other before, one-by-one, they left the coach. First to go was Jo, then Quinn, and Adrianna.

Outside, they saw Jo reunite with her mother, father, and brothers. She looked remarkably like her father; his stern face and gray eyes reflected onto his daughter. Adrianna greeted her mother, father, and four younger brothers and sisters, all of whom were below Hogwarts-aged. Quinn was embraced by her mother and father, who wore an eye patch and had plenty of scares all over his face.

"There's Mum," said Rachel, picking up her bag, "Well… I guess this is good-bye…"

"Yes, it is," said Matt, "It's been great knowing you, Rachel."

"You as well. Don't forget to write me every now and then," she said, walking out of the cabin.

"Will do," replied Matt, watching his young friend disappear.

"That leaves just us," said Lisa, standing up and stretching, "So… where are we off to?"

"We can Apparate now," said Maria, "All of us, I mean. Even Mateo passed his test."

"Barely," breathed Mateo, making Lillian giggle.

"Isabel and I are going to stay at Jack and Shailagh's house for a few weeks. Mom and Dad are in Hawaii and won't be home for at least that long; they probably don't even know about what happened at Hogwarts just yet," explained Melody.

"Rachel lives nearby, right?" queried Isabel, obviously hoping to have someone closer to her age to play with.

"We do, too," said the Martines at once, and then they laughed.

"As do I," added Lisa.

"Anyone meeting you, Lil?" asked Shailagh to her friend.

"Oh! Yes, Mom sent Katie to come get me… ah, there she is! Well… it's been nice to meet you all. Thank you for everything you've done for me this year," Lillian said, shaking hands with each of the Americans. She smiled in a shy way at Mateo before she departed to meet her stern-looking older sister.

"What about you guys?" asked Jose.

The Americans started. Their flight wasn't due to leave until about four in the following afternoon. However, they hadn't made any plans ahead of time for lodgings. They could always try to find some cheap, London hotel, there was bound to be one open somewhere…

"My house, then," said Lisa decisively.

The Americans, the Martines, the Hackers, Melody, Isabel, and Lisa soon located Lisa's grandmother among the dwindling number of passengers and family members on the platform. She smiled a little sadly, walking them toward a special area for Apparition.

"You know our new neighbors, Lisa? The Gibbonses? They had to leave… it was so sad, they just packed up and left without even saying good-bye…" said Lisa's grandmother, "I was so looking forward to making them dinner one last time…"

"Er… yeah…" said Lisa, exchanging a scared glance at the others, "After all this stuff with You-Know-Who, they may have wanted to just… you know, leave before…"

"Yes, yes," said Ms. Turpin absent-mindedly, "And to think that Albus is gone! I still don't know if I want to fully accept it… I really do wish I could have attended the funeral but… I wasn't able to get off of work…"

"Where are we aiming for?" asked Maria.

"I suppose the woods on your land," said Ms. Turpin, "We don't know if the new neighbors will be Muggle or Magic, and we don't feel like risking it.

"Alright," she said, Disapparating. Mateo, Jose, Jack, and Shailagh followed suit. Emily and Matt grabbed Steffen's arm and they, along with Lisa and her grandmother, spun into nothingness. After another journey of feeling like they were being shoved through a small straw, they arrived in the darkened woods on the Martine's property.

"I see we all made it safely," said Ms. Turpin as Melody and Isabel joined them, "Now, it's only a little bit this way, if I recall correctly…"

They walked along, quiet for the most part. Ms. Turpin rambled on about all the recent happenings of the rest of the magical world, much in the same way all older people rant about this and that. She kept at it for five whole minutes, until they finally began to emerge from the forest. Ms. Turpin finally stopped talking as they rounded the bend. They prepared to split, each heading for their homes. The earsplitting scream that came from Lisa stopped them all in their tracks as she pointed to her house.

The Dark Mark was floating above it.

"MOM!" cried Lisa, sprinting towards her house.

Everyone else followed suit. Shailagh looked horrified, though she hadn't collapsed from pain yet. Everyone took this as a good sign and quickly followed Lisa. Even Ms. Turpin was running, which seemed impossible for someone at her age. Her face was extremely pale and she looked as worried as Lisa.

"Mom!" cried Lisa again as they arrived near the fence.

There appeared to be no damage on the outside. All windows were intact, the door was closed, and each flower and shrub looked undisturbed. A single light seemed to be on inside the house. Lisa ran to the door and flung it open, unlocking it silently.

She froze just inside the threshold. They all crowded in around her, allowing only Ms. Turpin in first. The inside of the house was not completely torn apart, but a lot of things were knocked over and broken: bookcases, a few bowls and plates, and some other kitchen utensils.

Lisa's mother was against the cabinet doors. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her skin was much paler than either Lisa or her grandmother. She seemed frozen in time, and it was only when Lisa and Lisa's grandmother approached her that she stood up slowly and shakily.

"T-They came in here… wi-with masks. They k-k-killed… they… oh dear God…" she choked out.

She doubled over, looking as though she was going to be sick. Lisa's grandmother escorted her towards the sink to get her a drink of water. The others, meanwhile, walked toward a mass on the ground. As they approached, Maria and Lisa both paled, Mateo turned away, looking nauseous, Shailagh and Jack's faces got hard, and the Americans felt their insides drop through the floor again.

An elderly Muggle couple had been thrown unceremoniously to the ground. They were covered in various debris from the destroyed books and such in the room. Their eyes stared into nothing, though there was a look of intense fear on their faces. Attached to the man was a note. Shailagh took it off his shirt (taped, of all things) and read it aloud.

"We will never stop coming for you until you assist us. You have connections. You can be useful. You will assist the Death Eaters, or you will lose your life. It's your choice," she said, looking up, "This must be meant for your grandmother, Lisa."

"Grandma? What would the Death Eaters have to do with her?" asked Lisa, still pale.

"Who are these two?" asked Emily, glancing at the dead bodies again.

Nobody spoke for a moment. And then, finally, Lisa answered, "It's the Douglasses. Our old neighbors."

Within minutes, Ministry officials flocked to the Turpin cottage by the handful. Each of the teens were briefly questioned, and Lisa's mother experienced a much longer round of questioning, recounting the incident as it happened.

"I was sitting, brushing up on my Quantum Atomic Theory," she said, under the influence of a Calming Draft, "When I heard this weird pop. I thought maybe Mom had left something cooking in the oven, so I ignored it at first. But then there were a few more, and when I looked up, these people in masks were standing there."

"And then what happened?" asked the Ministry official in a kind voice.

"I panicked and jumped over the couch. But I somehow got my foot caught and the couch went with me. I backed up to the sinks and two more people appeared. The Douglasses were already… expired… when the wizards arrived. They said something amongst each other, and then started firing spells at the walls for no apparent reason. I covered my face with my hands. I was afraid."

"Understandable," said the official, still writing.

"When I opened my eyes, one of the men stood before me. He picked me up, looked me right in my eye, and told me to make sure my mother saw the message on Mr. Douglass's shirt. And then he dropped me and… well… I was so scared that I couldn't move. I don't really know how long I was pinned against the counter. And then everyone else arrived and… that's all," she concluded.

"Very well. I think you should go to St. Mungo's for the night, just to make sure you won't suffer any lasting damage," advised the official.

"Yes, Jeanne," urged Lisa's grandmother, "You really should go for just a few hours at least…"

"Oh… okay…" said Lisa's mother, "I suppose so… but what about Lisa?"

"She can stay with us," said Maria, firmly, "You all can stay with us."

"Yes, that would be best. We can protect one shelter with much greater ease than three," agreed a ministry official.

"The four of us are going to be there, then?" asked Shailagh, indicating herself, her brother, and the Moon sisters.

"Until tomorrow at least," said the man, "Until we get enough protective barriers setup for you."

"Mom won't mind in the least; she loves company," said Maria, "Come on, she must be worried about us…"

Fifteen minutes later, they were in the Martine's kitchen. They were all grouped around the kitchen table. Ms. Martine clattered about in her nightgown, insisting that they get a proper meal before they go to bed. Across the stairs, in the living room, the same Ministry Official that had been dealing with them all night was explaining the finer details of the defense systems to Jerome, Marcus, and Pedro. They, too, were dressed in bath robes. Miguel had also sauntered downstairs and was now sleeping with his head on the table.

"… so we are effectively closing your house for the next twelve hours at least. We will escort the Americans to London Heathrow at around two in the afternoon tomorrow. Are there any questions?" concluded the man.

"No, sir," said Jerome, "Thank you for protecting us."

"You won't have to worry after tonight; I guarantee you this," assured the man.

"Thank you. Good evening," said Pedro, showing the man the door rather quickly.

"Now you can all have some peace and quiet at last. You've had a very stressful week," said Jerome as Marcus went back to bed without a word.

"He's right," said Matt, "This has been a rough week."

"The girls can stay in Maria's room; the boys, in the attic," commanded Ms. Martine.

"But… we're engaged," Jack protested, showing her the rings.

"I will not have any children made in my house this evening," she replied, "And if you should break my request, you will face my wrath."

"Aye, ma'am," said a subdued Jack.

They went to bed at about ten that night. After such a long week without sleep, the Americans and their friends found themselves sleeping easily in moments. It was the first time any of them had felt safe since the night of the Inter-House League party. Surrounded by their friends, as well as a dozen Ministry Officials, they had the best night's sleep, sleeping until eleven the next morning.

By the time they awoke, Jerome, Marcus, and Pedro had gone to work. Miguel was again playing Halo 2 on the Xbox downstairs. Matt and Steffen trudged down the rickety stairs, followed closely by Emily, Jose, and Lisa. Ms. Martine was frying some bacon and eggs for them.

"About time you were up," she said, "You look famished. Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes. Are my boys still sleeping?"

"You should've heard Mateo's snores," said Jose, smirking, "Very impressive."

"ACOSTA! AHORA!" shouted Ms. Martine up the stairwell. From above, they heard someone fall out of bed.

"Miguel, toss me a controller," said Jose, "We need to settle an old score with these two."

"Oh, you wanna get your ass handed to you again? Is that it?" asked Steffen, picking up another controller.

"It's on," said Emily, "That there was the throw down."

They played, and Emily and Steffen both lost. The room was soon full of swearing, yelling, and threats of bodily harm in real life. Mateo came downstairs soon after, looking harassed. He and Matt had even less success than Emily and Steffen. Jack and Melody made appearances soon after, both looking tired, but thrilled as well. Last to appear were Shailagh and Maria, both having showered and freshened up before they came downstairs.

"Good morning, girls," said Ms. Martine, "I hope you're all ready to eat, this is a rather big breakfast."

"Of course we are," said Miguel, pausing the game, "Let's go, guys! I wanna finish."

After a delicious meal, Miguel and Jose returned to thrashing everyone. Matt and Mateo both failed miserably. Jack and Melody also had limited success. Maria and Shailagh did slightly better, but that was mainly because Shailagh kept trying to predict the movements of her opponents as she looked around the sights of her snipe rifle. Then Emily and Steffen tried again, and they were completely destroyed in another furious sea of swearing and threats.

And all at once, they felt better. They weren't normal, by any means. They still knew they were all in danger, and that there were Dark Wizards gunning for all of them now. And yet, they felt as though life would go on. The past couple of weeks had found them all depressed and lethargic, constantly worrying. All it took was a simple fragfest in Halo 2 to remind them all that they were still allowed to do normal things, and that they were all going to be alright, at least for a little while.

Eventually, after everyone had a turn getting raped by Jose and Miguel at Halo, it was time for the Americans to report to the airport. Everyone went with them to say goodbye. It was with a heavy heart that they approached security. They turned back to say their final goodbyes to the people that they may never see again.

"Stay safe," said Ms. Martine, "We wish you luck in your future."

"Same here," said Matt, nodding.

"Emily, Steffen, Matt… you've done so much for us this year," said Mateo, "I just hope we can repay the favor to you someday."

"We'll accept money at our normal addresses," joked Emily.

"This is not our last goodbye," said Shailagh, "So we will see you again. Weeks, months, years… I have the feeling this won't be the last adventure we go on together."

The Americans looked at them all for a second. Jose had his arm around Lisa, both looking a little sad to see them leave. Melody and Jack held hands behind their backs. Ms. Martine stared at them with kindness and compassion, despite knowing them for only a few hours. Maria and Mateo looked at them with admiration and pride. And Shailagh stared at them with a knowing look on her face. She was right. This wasn't the last adventure they'd be on.

"Don't forget, you need to come to our wedding," reminded Melody and Jack.

"Yes, yes, we know," said Matt, "We'll be back later in July. We promise."

"Good luck. And Godspeed," said Ms. Martine, waving once more.

"Tell your Grandma and mother that we're sorry we couldn't be there to say good-bye in person, Lisa," said Steffen, "Thank her for us, won't you?"

"No problem," said Lisa, "Don't miss your flight!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," the Americans replied, entering the security area.

A half an hour later, they sat at their gate, each drinking something. Matt had a milkshake, while Emily and Steffen shared a smoothie. Their flight was delayed (unsurprisingly), and they were still stuck at the terminal. Though the sky was beautiful, they knew the real reason for the delay was so protection could be placed around the plane to prevent magical sabotage.

"It's strange, isn't it? Going home after all this?" said Matt.

"Yeah. I don't know how we can be the same from now on," said Emily, "And I don't know if we're any safer in America than we are here."

"That reminds me!" Steffen exclaimed, "We need to find out about our classes at Seaside. We need to know exactly what courses we're going to take and what we should focus on this summer."

"Damn! You're right," Emily said, "Have you heard anything about it since our grades?"

"No," Matt said, "I imagine it'll come soon, though."

"And what about the McGuires?" asked Steffen.

"They'll be back. That's a given," said Emily, "But next time… we'll be ready."

"Yes," said Matt, "We will understand that Modern Magic thing better. We have to."

"We'll think of it as our mission from Professor Dumbledore," said Emily, "Rest his soul."

"Yes. I think he knew we were capable of it; that's why he gave us the book," said Steffen.

"We should have asked the others to help us test it!" Matt cried, snapping his fingers.

"No," said Emily, "We don't even truly understand it ourselves; there's no point in us teaching something we don't know to other people."

"I guess you're right… but still…" Matt said, gazing at his carry-on bag, where the book waited, "I just hope we can stop the McGuires before they find and hurt Sharolyn or her mother…"

"_British Airways Flight 115 to New York now welcomes you to board!"_

"That's us," said Emily, standing.

"Yep," Matt nodded, following.

"Well, here we go," said Steffen as they moved to the jetway.

Unknown to the Americans, the Martines, Hackers, Moons, and Lisa were still watching them. From the parking lot, they watched the 747 take-off into the sinking sun. They smiled, for all knew it was not the last time they would be involved with the American's. Nor would it be the last time they risked their lives for each other.

"They'll be back," said Lisa, confidently, "They claim they'll stay at Seaside, but we know better by now."

"This is true," concurred Mateo, "They have a nasty habit of not staying in America."

"I hope they don't wait so long next year," said Melody, "It gave me quite a scare when they first came back this year."

"It won't be long," said Jack, "No. It will not be long before our American friends return to Hogwarts."

-- 6/7/06 11:12 P. M.

**From the Author's Mind:  
You have no idea how good it feels to finish a 200 page story 11 months after you start it. Or maybe you do. If so, you know what a weight has been lifted off my chest. Now, because I know you're wondering, Hitsuzen roughly translates to "Inevitability." And that, my friends, is the end. Thank you for reading, and please review my work so that I may improve on future stories. Thank you all so much.**

**--- Mateo**


End file.
